Youth of the Nation
by Magnus17
Summary: Falling in love in Nerima was hard; raising a family there is even harder. Like now, when five of the children, while recovering, begin to comprehend what has happened and what horrendus challenges lay in front of them now.
1. The Saotomes

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma ½_, nor do I claim to.

**Youth of the Nation:**

Chapter 1: The Saotomes:

"There's got to be more to life than this. There's got to be more to everything I though exists." – P.O.D.: _Youth of the Nation_

"What, . . . is it morning already?" Sakura asked sleepily, sitting up in bed. Reaching over, she pressed the button on her alarm clock, ending the buzzing noise, which had been ringing for the last fifteen minutes or so. Raising her arms up, she stretched, before laying them back down on the blankets by her sides.

The banging on her door continued. "Hurry up, Sakura!" She sighed, leaning out of bed. Her brother was always so intent on getting to school early. The springs creaked silently as she forced herself onto her feet.

"Yeah, Sakura." Her father said behind the door, a little quieter than her brother. "Everyone's already left. And Keira just passed by a minute ago."

"WHAT?!" Sakura shouted, before diving into her closet. There was an explosion of clothes as an endless supply of things was thrown out the door. Finding her uniform, she slid into it just after peeling off her pajamas. Grabbing her sword from the wall, she slid it into her belt, and seized her bag, then burst out the door. "Ready! Let's go, Sauske!"

Her brother sighed, as her father smirked widely. "Well, that got ya up quickly, didn't it?"

"What do you mean, father?" She asked quietly, suddenly calm again.

"Well, . . . nobody's left yet. You were just sleeping in again." He smiled, before walking back down the hall, and disappearing down the stairs. "Breakfast will be done in a few minutes." He called back up.

Sauske shook his head, before walking after his father, muttering "Your bath is ready." Sakura sighed deeper, wandering down to the furo.

- - -

When she was clean, Sakura trudged back into her room. She sat down at her desk, looking into the small mirror resting on her desk, while pulling out a brush. Her hair was all frizzy, and that would have to be fixed before she went to school. After a number of strokes, she snatched a scrunchie from the edge of her desk, and tied her hair up in a loose ponytail. Her hair, a deep raven-blue, just like her mother's, flicked up a tiny bit at the tie, before settling down to the middle of her shoulders.

Reaching down, she straightened her shirt. From what everyone had told her, she was pretty, more than her mother was supposed to have been. She didn't go out of her way to do that; it just seemed to happen. The only thing she usually paid attention to, in the slightest way, was her hair, and she never really did anything to make that look any nicer than any other girl did.

She had better things to do. Hence the solid wood kendo sword, the dojo, the martial arts magazines strewn on one side of the room, and her "mixed-gender" clothes. Leave most of the girly things to the real girls. Sakura had to be herself. Not that she didn't have her feminine side either; noting the _Cardcaptor Sakura_ comics, the small make-up case, and the dresses she had. She didn't want to be a girly girl, or a tomboy.

Brushing away a stray strand of hair, the girl stared back into the mirror again. She stared straight into her own eyes. The yellow-green spheres stared back, before she broke off watching. Sakura still got a rush from that; everyone had always said her eyes had the tremendous power of fear and respect in them. Once she had found out what look did that, she could see it in herself. It was odd to spend time bringing out astonishment in herself, but she knew what they really were. They were a small piece of the power that lay . . .

"BREAKFAST!" Her father shouted from downstairs. Sakura rose slowly, stretching her arms again, before grabbing her school bag from under her bed. She adjusted the sword at her waist, then walked out her door, into the hall, and then stepped down the stairs, into the room where her brother was sitting at the table, her father carrying in another bowl of food for Sakura.

" . . . and when are they returning?" her brother asked, as her father brought out the food.

"A few days, tops. I wouldn't know how long that accountin' stuff they do takes, so I'm not sure. But they said a few days." The father replied, filling the bowls for himself, his son and his daughter. "So, until then, you're just gonna have to get your mother to help ya with math. Okay?"

Sauske nodded, before continuing to eat. Sakura sat down next to him, and breakfast proceeded as normal.

Sauske took his time eating, just thinking over everything from yesterday. Nothing important happened, but it was good to keep an idea of what happened to get you to here. He took another bite of rice, trying not to spill any on his school uniform.

Everyone always said he was so small, with his lean and flexible frame. He didn't have the appearance equal to his own strength, which was, for all the years of training, far beyond what many of the students of his father would get to. His father said his son is almost as strong as he is, although it's more likely, from Sauske's point of view, he's as strong as when his father first came to Tokyo.

The boy sighed, remembering how long it had been since his last training fight with Keira. Almost a week and a half. Maybe today? He pushed the thought from his mind, running his hand through his glob of black hair, before it resettled in its usual random flow. It would be best to not worry about that; they would get a chance when they got a chance, and that was enough. Sauske smiled a bit, and began to eat again.

"Where's mother?" his sister asked after a few minutes, before taking another bite of rice and fish.

Her father smiled. "She brought your sister and cousins to school today . . . and here's the lunches she made for you two!" He picked up to bento boxes, and slid them across the table.

The children's eyes widened, before they sighed together. They had no choice but to take them. If they wanted to buy lunch there instead of taking the food they were given, their parents would always say they'd have to pay for it themselves. Slowly, Sauske, then Sakura, picked up their lunches, and placed them in their bags.

"Why can't you make lunch for us anymore, father?" Sakura asked after a long silence.

The father smiled again. "Your mother likes to cook. And it's a lot better than when I met her, even if it still tastes as terrible as . . ."

"I HEARD THAT!" A woman shouted, walking back in the front door.

The father smiled pleasantly, hoping to avoid any further confrontation. "Oh, you're back . . . that's good . . . I better go get ready for today's classes, huh?" The woman nodded, and the father dashed out of the room after gobbling the last of his food.

"And you two," the woman continued, pointing to her children, "ought to be going to school right now. It's getting late!"

Sakura glanced up at the clock, before realizing how late it really was. She devoured the last of her food, as did Sauske. "All right, let's go." The boy nodded, and they grabbed their bags, rushing past their mother.

"Bye, Mom!" the boy shouted, as he and her sister raced out the door, barely leaving enough time to slip on their shoes. The mother waved goodbye, as her children ran down the street to her old high school.

Sauske jumped up onto the fence, and continued running next to his sister. The two siblings ran in silence to school, one on the street, one on a fence. Not that Sakura couldn't run on a fence; it was just too hard to stand on a fence, and fight with her sword. Plus, she was wearing a skirt.

"Are you still using that?" Sauske asked after a moment, pointing to the wooden sword tied into her belt.

The girl sighed, before running faster. "Of course! Why is everyone bothering me about it all the time?! I'm joining Kendo club, and you still keep bothering me about this?! I'm getting pretty good at it, you know."

The boy sighed, before looking back down along the fence. "Maybe, but you are still much better fighting with your hands instead of that sword. How long is it going to take you to realize it?"

The girl glared at her brother, angry at his constant interjections. "Nobody starts off perfect at any martial art! You have to start at the beginning, and get better as you practice at it! I'll be great with this one day!" She shouted, placing the palm of her hand onto the end of the sword.

There was another long pause.

"You had another dream last night, right?" Sauske asked.

"And why do you care?!" Sakura replied indignantly, before turning her head a bit, a slight darkening over her face. "And what even makes you think that?"

"You always get up late when you dream. That's the only time you ever oversleep." The boy replied, before jumping down from the fence, dashing across the street, and hopping back onto the fence. "I was just wondering, you know. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

The girl shook her head, before giving up. "Fine, I did." Before her brother could reply, she continued. "It was the one with me and the wolf again. Are you happy now?!"

Sauske sighed, then began to run faster, as they approached the school. Sakura easily kept up, before pushing herself enough to overtake him, and dashed straight through the schoolyard and into the building. Her brother slowed to a jog, before walking into the school, followed by the usual murmurs of awe.

- - -

"Something wrong?" the mother asked, walking up to her husband. He was leaning against the wall, staring out into the street. The door was wide open in the dojo, a cool breeze flowing in. His pigtail waved slightly in the breeze, the few graying hairs blended into all of the black ones. His head turned when the woman's voice sounded behind him, then he turned back.

"Oh, hi Akane." He said, before pausing for a minute. "It's late again."

The woman walked beside her husband, sighing. "I know, Ranma, I know. Heck, you haven't talked about anything else with me for the last week."

Ranma scratched the back of his head, blushing a bit. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Akane said with a sigh. "I know how much it means to you, and the children. It'll get here."

"I hope so." Ranma replied, leaning further onto the doorway. "I mean, I could deal with it again, no problem. And Sauske probably wouldn't care, or need to. But Sakura is so . . . against it, and I don't want Auska to get hurt. She's just so frail when she's . . ."

"I know, Ranma." Akane said quietly, resting against him lovingly. She slowly wrapped her arms around his chest from behind, before closing with, "I know."

- - -

Sauske closed his book, before standing up. It was finally lunchtime. "Coming, Sauske?" Mayu called, walking out the door, followed by Hojo and Ganko.

"Coming!" he replied with a smile, before racing to catch up to his friends.

"Let's eat outside!"

"Did you bring the cards?"

"Do you really have that little faith in me, Ganko?"

"Yes!"

"Will you two stop fighting?! I'm starving! I haven't eaten anything since last night!"

The bickering continued for a few minutes, as the quartet walked outside, before taking their usual spot near a large tree. In a moment, thought, they were all sitting, pulling out lunches, and smiling again. Hojo drew a pack of playing cards from his pocket, before taking out the cards and shuffling them. "What's today? Dai Hin Min?" (Note: Dai Hin Min is similar to the card game Presidents)

"Why not?" Sauske said with a smile, pulling around his lunch, but halted before opening it. "Hey, here's an idea: everybody bets their lunch, and winner gets anyone's they choose!"

The other three glanced between each other, calculating the situation. Then it dawned on them.

"NO!"

"NO!"

"NO!"

Sauske sighed. Mayu took a deep breath, before sliding her lunch safely away. "Sorry Sauske, but we're not falling for that trick again. Your mom made it, didn't she?"

Sauske sighed again, nodding. Ganko smiled pleasantly. "Aw, cheer up, Sauske! It's not that bad! Here, open up your lunch, and I'll show you!" The boy did, pulling off the lid, while sliding the box between himself and the girl. "See, just look at these rice balls! They're all in different animal shapes! They may not be very tasty, and they look funny, but at least your Mother's trying to make it look nice! See, this one's probably a dog, and this is . . ."

"Actually, they're supposed to be round." Sauske said quietly. Ganko winced, before scooting back from his food.

Mayu shook her head, before reaching into her own lunch. "HERE!" she shouted, handing some of her food out to him. "Have some cookies! I'm on a diet anyway."

Hojo and Ganko followed, digging out some extra thing they weren't going to eat anyway, and shoving it at Sauske. The boy blinked, before smiling a bit. "Uh, thanks." Reaching down, he picked up his food. "Here, have some rice balls!"

Hojo scooted back a few feet. "Under the circumstances, . . . no." Sauske put it back down, as the other boy handed out the cards.

The game began, as Sauske did his best to play. He had never been that good at cards. But he enjoyed this time with his friends. Not that he didn't have other friends, but none of them were like the three sitting across from him on the grass.

Mayu smiled, as she tossed down the pair of sixes. Her long, floating blond hair trailed down her back, as she sat next to her school bag. She was always so outgoing, never content being quiet or reserved, and often yelled and screamed at people. Then again, she was nice enough, and smart enough, to keep herself from stuffing her foot in her mouth . . .

Unlike Hojo, who was known for doing that very thing at almost every occasion. He was loud and proud, forgetful, and stubborn. He was the obnoxious one. But his short brown hair, his cute face, and his please-forgive-me smile got him out of more trouble than ten million yen ever could.

Then there was Ganko. She slid her glasses further up her nose, the ends passing between her short black hair, as she drew a pair of nines, and throwing them down onto the pile. She was the smartest of the four, but was almost as shy as Sauske. And while she was often very calm, the girl could get **very** angry with Hojo.

Let's not forget Sauske, either. A shy, average student, as well as a wonder at martial arts, Sauske was almost as popular as he was reserved. Almost nobody in the school knew how good he really was, even the friends who sat across from him. His short, black hair, all rugged and messed up, along with the strong, calm face he kept on whenever he was away from his friends, gave him an aura that everyone in the school respected.

"Hey, Sauske!" Mayu shouted. "It's your turn!" Sauske returned to reality, shaking his head, before throwing down a pair of cards. Fortunately, they were the right ones.

"Oh, Sauske, that reminds me." Ganko began, watching the play continue. "Who is that girl you always hang around with after school?"

"You don't know who Keira is?!" Mayu shouted, turning to her friend, while throwing more cards. "She's the self-proclaimed ninja-girl! How could you not have heard about her?!" Hojo nodded in agreement.

Sauske leaned in, trying to be heard. "She is not a self-proclaimed ninja." The other three turned to him. "She is a ninja." Their eyes widened, as Mayu mouthed "No way!" "Seriously, she is a ninja. You know, the throwing knives, the swords, the stealth, everything. She doesn't show it off, but she really is a kunoichi."

"What, that girl?" Hojo replied, placing another group of cards down before pointing his thumb over his shoulder at the girl, who was eating lunch with her friends a ways away. "Stealthy? A ninja? Gimme a break. She's probably just faking it."

"Be careful what you say." Sauske warned him. "She's also got very good hearing, and . . ." a rock smacked into the back of Hojo's head, "a very good throwing arm."

The boy glared over at the girl behind him, as she stared angrily back, before both of them huffed, and turned to their friends.

Mayu leaned in, smiling a bit. "Oh Sauske . . . this girl, you sure know a lot about her. And with all the time you spend after school with her . . . she wouldn't happen to be your girlfriend, would she?"

"WHAT?!" Sauske shouted, for the first time that day, sliding back against the tree. "I-I-it's nothing like that! We're just friends!" The boy took a deep breath. "Besides, I don't have a girlfriend." His eyes trailed off into nowhere. This was the same thing Mayu had been brining up for the past few weeks, picking every girl Sauske had ever known and asking if he had ever been in love with her. It was getting more and more personal, and it seemed like she would never let him live anything down anymore.

"We could fix that!" Mayu said with a sly smile.

Sauske's eyes widened, and he blushed brightly. "Hey! Who . . . who says I want a girlfriend?! . . . uh, I mean, why should you care?"

Ganko took out her brownie for dessert, taking a bite, and watching the scene unfold. Mayu kept her smile. "Oh, but Sauske, you need one. Or at least somebody to shake up your system; you know, put some energy into you; you're too quiet!"

Hojo's eyes widened. "Uh, Mayu, I know that's a good idea, but you aren't seriously thinking about asking that Keira, are you? She seems like an idiot to . . ." SMACK! Hojo growled, as the stone rolled off of his skull, and onto the ground.

"But what about Hojo?!" protested Ganko, not wanting anyone to walk away lonely or sad, and to annoy the hell out of the previously mentioned boy. "We should find someone for him too. Someone kind, caring . . . a bit more restrained, to keep him in line. He's too silly."

"Hey, one of you two," Mayu shouted, pointing at both the boys, "Turn into a girl, so we can finish this!"

"THAT'S DISGUSTING!" Hojo shouted, turning slightly green.

"Please, don't joke about that." Sauske said quietly. There was a slight pause, before he began to speak again. "Hojo . . . a girl . . ." the boy shivered just thinking about it.

"Hey, why do I have to be the girl?!" Hojo complained.

"Because," Mayu explained, "Sauske has to protect you. He's the martial artist, and you wouldn't want some girl protecting you, would you?"

"Please!" Ganko begged softly, realizing something horrible for all of them. The other three turned to her. "Before this goes any further . . . shuffle the cards so we can play again!" There was a loud groan.

- - -

"Ranma?" Akane asked, walking into the dojo, wearing her training gi. "Are you still sitting there?"

He looked up quickly, before jumping up smoothly. Even with two decades of time, he still had all his skills; in fact, they had expanded almost four times over. "Oh, hi, Akane. I was just, thinkin'."

The woman sighed, walking over to him. "Just calm down, Ranma. There's nothing to worry about. Everything will work out." She leaned up to him, staring into his blue eyes. Her eyes traced over his entire face, loving every part of it, even after all these years.

"Do you really think so, Akane?" Ranma replied, staring back, a small, relieved smile spreading over his mouth.

The woman leaned in, kissing him lightly on the cheek. "Yes, Ranma, I do."

Next Chapter: Sauske goes up against his arch-rival, and the mystery ninja-girl, Keira, is revealed.

* * *

Well, here's the beginning of the re-edit of the whole story so far, up to chapter 20. If I missed anything, send me a review. You can review anyway, though.


	2. The Hibiki Clan and the Kunoichi

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma ½_, nor claim to.

Chapter 2: The Hibiki Clan and the Kunoichi:

"My people are the misfits; I won't let you down . . . I bleed for the moments when we're here, and we're all around." Third Eye Blind: _Misfits_

"Hurry UP, Sauske!" Mayu shouted, as she led him off to see his sister. "School's over! Why do you always take so long to leave?!"

"I forgot something." He said calmly, walking up to his friend. "Besides, we have plenty of time . . . why are you in such a rush to finish the science project anyway?"

"Because!" She shouted again, and left it at that.

Sakura sighed as the two came walking up to her. "Are you two through arguing?" There was a whoosh as something familiar whizzed by. "See you in a little while, Keira!" She shouted.

"Got it! See you both in a minute!" The racing girl shouted, before she disappeared off into the distance.

"Wonder if she'll be back before he gets here this time." Sakura replied quietly, as the trio began to walk down the street.

Mayu watched expectantly at the older sister, hoping to get an explanation of who "he" was. Neither of the Saotomes said anything, as they walked quietly back to their home. The girl sighed. "What's with you two? Why are you so quiet?"

"He's late." Sauske replied, sighing as well.

"And who is he?"

Sakura turned to say something, as they turned the corner. That was when the voice shouted.

- - -

"Ranma, another letter from China!" Akane said abruptly, tossing it over to her husband.

Ranma snatched it out of the air, before sitting down at the table. "Thanks, Akane." He said quietly, before opening it slowly. He had too much on his mind, and if this was that Jusenkyo Customer Service again, he'd . . . "Hey, it's from Shampoo and Mousse!"

Akane placed most of the mail down, only keeping the letter that her friend Sayuri had sent, before glancing over at him. "Are they coming to visit us again?" She said quietly. It had been a long time since they had been back in Nerima, almost nine years.

"No, they're . . . WHAT?!" Ranma shouted, before re-reading the letter again, making sure he really saw what was written.

Akane stood up, walking around the table to sit down next to him. "What is it, Ranma?"

The man placed the letter slowly down on the table, thinking this over. "Shampoo and Mousse . . . and their children . . . are moving to Nerima."

- - -

"SAOTOME! Today's the day! THE DAY THAT YOU LOSE!" The voice shouted.

It was coming from a blond boy, standing in the center of the sidewalk, ready to block his target's path. The boy stood there, his arms crossed and his mouth in a smug smile, his spiked hair rustling slightly in the breeze. Despite his lack of height, it was his long-sleeved orange shirt, black pants, fingerless gloves, and light shoes made him look ready for exactly what he wanted: a fight.

"Oh, Naruto." Sauske replied calmly, taking off his school bag, and dropping it on the ground. "You're late today."

"SHUT UP!" Naruto shot back, shaking his fist. "I don't care if I'm late or early! All that matters is that I'm going to beat you today!"

"This must be 'him' . . . I guess." Mayu thought to herself, before Sakura dragged her to the side.

"You're going to want to give Sauske some room." Sakura said with both a joking and serious expression.

Sauske sighed deeply, kicking his bag to the side of the walkway, as it clacked against the wall. This was one of those fights he had no choice in. "All right, Naruto, let's get this over with." He **hated **these kinds of fights.

A long way down the street, another boy noticed the group, and began walking towards Sakura and Mayu.

"MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY!" Naruto shouted, sliding back onto the balls of his feet, raising up his hands. Sauske eventually followed. The world paused, as the two waited for the other to begin. Or their own self-control to snap.

Naruto dashed forward at full speed. "TAKE THIS!" he reared his arm back, until he was almost in range for his punch. He flung his fist forward, as it flashed through the air.

Sauske spun around, extending his foot, snapping Naruto's legs out from under him. The blond boy tripped, floating. Twisting back around, the Sauske stood up again, raising his hand into the air. As Naruto's head passed by, he dropped his elbow, smashing it into his opponent's neck.

Naruto was hurled into the ground, before he skidded across the cement on his chest, and stopped at the edge of the street. "Well," Sakura began, "that's the end of that. Oh well. Ready to go, Sauske?" She said, snatching his bag off the ground, and dusting off some of the dirt before handing it to him.

Sauske nodded, and the three began to walk again. Mayu was staring wide-eyed at her friend. She had heard that he was good, but he didn't even blink at that. She had never seen him, or anyone else, fight like that. He was amazing; he could be the best martial . . . "HEY! HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!"

The three turned back around, to see a slightly dusty, and even angrier, Naruto staring at them. "I am NOT finished yet!" The boy charged forward again, taking a second swing.

"Yes, you are." Sauske breathed quietly, sliding aside again. Naruto stumbled forward past Sauske, now off balance. Sauske landed lightly on one foot, before swinging the other one around into a roundhouse kick, connecting to the back of Naruto's head. The spiky haired boy was launched forward, and collapsed onto the ground again. He slid along the ground, kicking up pebbles and dirt for a few feet, before stopping at the shoes of someone.

The teen looked down, sighing. "Lose again, squirt?" he said. The three other standing kids looked over. Sakura's eyes traced to his face.

"Oh, hello, Kite." Sauske said, nodding his head in acknowledgment of his presence.

The new arrival, Kite, stood looming over his younger sibling. He was much taller than his little brother, who was short for his age. Kite was also taller than Sauske and Sakura, who he had known for years. His black hair was tied into a long, twisted pigtail, reaching down to between his shoulder blades. He was dressed in his school uniform still: a white shirt and black pants. His muscles, while not bulging out, were readily apparent, unlike Sauske's and Sakura's, giving him a strong, tough appearance.

The older boy turned, nodding back, before turning to the girls. "Hello, miss." He said with a slight smile. It faded to a straight line as he turned to the other girl. "Hello, Sakura."

"Hello, Kite." Sakura replied, in a gruff tone, before turning away from him, and leaning against the fence nearby. She stayed several feet away, sniffing once, and grimacing.

"DON'T CALL ME SQUIRT!" Naruto shouted, jumping up, and glaring at his brother. He was the shortest of all five of them, but that did not mean his brother could make fun of him. He was only a year older, like Sakura was only a year older than Sauske.

Kite sighed. "Whatever." He turned to the winner of the fight. "That was damn good as always, Sauske. We ought to spar again sometimes." Sauske nodded.

"Don't be vulgar!" Sakura said louder, walking up to the boy her age. She shoved something into his hand. "Use this!"

He held it up, looking at it. "Chewing gum? What's this for?"

"Your breath. It smells terrible." Sakura said, before walking back to her previous spot. Kite placed his hand over his mouth, breathing out, and sniffing his own breath. It wasn't that bad; he could barely smell anything. "And take a bath tonight."

The eyes looked over at Sakura for a moment, before there was a sigh. "Whatever." Kite repeated, and turned to walk back the way he came. "Come on, bro'. We got chores to do back at home. So long, Sauske, miss."

"WAIT JUST ONE MINUTE!" Naruto shouted, still in his fighting stance. "I am NOT finished yet. I still got an ace up my sleeve." Sauske looked at him over his shoulder, and Kite stopped, looking back at his brother. "I've been saving this for a special occasion. Let's see you deal with this!" He reached down, pulling out a flash.

Kite grabbed him by the collar, ripping the bottle away in a flash. His face was pale. "YOU IDIOT!" He paused for a minute, not wanting to explain. Naruto looked at him sheepishly. Everyone else was staring. "You . . . uh . . . you got, um, . . . sake in this flask, don't you?! Yeah, you were going to use that fire-breathing trick on Sauske! Stupid! Don't you know how dangerous that is?! We're going home right NOW!"

Kite carried his brother away, racing down the street, before anyone could say anything. "Well, that was odd." Sauske said, before the remaining three continued to walk.

- - -

"So, when are they coming?" Akane asked, picking up the letter from Sayuri again.

Ranma paused, twitching. "Well, according to this . . . they moved here two weeks ago, and . . ."

Akane looked up. That wasn't too odd. The letters from China always came late. It always took a month or two to receive their letters. "And what?"

"They're comin' to visit tonight." Ranma said sheepishly. "Just to visit, not for dinner or anything. Around nine. And they're bringin' Aki too."

Akane fidgeted from rage. Even after her engagement to Ranma was finally ended, and she ended up with Mousse, and moved back to China, Shampoo was still so annoying. She probably wrote them enough letters to make an encyclopedia set. And now she was moving here?! She took a deep breath. "All right."

"Al . . . all r . . . all right?" Ranma said softly, lowering his arms, which he had raised in a feeble defense against the hit he was expecting. "You don't mind?" Akane shook her head. "O . . .okay."

- - -

"Are you stupid?!" Kite shouted, dropping his brother to his feet. "What the hell made you even think of doing that?!"

"It's not sake, okay!" The shorter brother shouted back, his eyes staring back, and his thin, blond whiskers twitching nervously.

Kite shook his head. "I know that!" He opened the flask, checking inside to be sure exactly what it was. Pure, unadulterated H2O. "Why in the world would you ever think **this** would help you win?!"

Naruto regained some of his composure. "The greatest element in a fight, is the element of surprise."

"Surprise my ass!" Kite shouted back. "Using this might surprise Sauske for a moment, then he'll beat the hell out of you, you moron! And once they realize you can change, who do you think they're gonna look at next, ya little twerp?! ME, that's who!"

The smaller boy lost more of the color in his face, before he realized something. "This is about Sakura finding out you . . ."

"DON'T YOU DARE BRING HER INTO THIS! SHE'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING!" Kite screamed, ripping his brother off the ground by the collar, a few twinges of fear in his eyes.

After a moment, he lowered his brother down, and sighed. "All right, I'm sorry for yelling. But . . . if you ever use that idea again, you're going to be in **real** trouble. It ain't gonna help you with anything. Got it?"

Naruto nodded quickly, before breathing a sigh of relief. He should have never brought up Sakura. Oh well, too late now. "So I guess we got to go home now?"

Kite nodded, before a sight appeared in his mind. Clouds, dark ones, in the sky. "Looks like rain." He muttered loudly. "Good thing we got umbrellas." His brother smiled oddly, trying to act like things were going good. "You forgot yours, didn't you, Naruto?"

Naruto nodded. Kite shook his head; he knew what that meant he would have to do. He paused a moment before walking around behind the dumpster, changing out of the clothes he was wearing, and putting on another set, much smaller, that was inside his bag. He tossed him umbrella over the green metal container, and then took the flask in his other hand. After dumping the contents of it over his head, and letting the water soak in for a while, Kite returned from around the dumpster. "Let's go."

- - -

The rain began to fall. It was light right now, but Sakura wasn't worried. A little rain was no problem to her; it was nothing more than a drizzle. They walked slowly, when there was the sound of footsteps approaching again. Very fast footsteps. Another thing she wasn't worried about.

"Hello, Sauske-kun!" The sprinting girl shouted, effortlessly leaping over the fence, and landing right next to him, smiling pleasantly. Mayu blinked, surprised about her sudden appearance.

"Oh, hello, Keira!" Sauske replied, smiling widely as well.

"Hello, Sakura!" Keira said happily again, to which the other girl smiled and nodded. Then, the new arrival turned to the last person, still smiling. "Hello . . . um, I don't think we've met."

"Nope!" Mayu said politely, before introducing herself. "I'm Mayu, one of Sauske's friends."

"Me too!" she said cheerily. "I'm Kuonji Keira, Sauske's training partner."

"Training partner?" Mayu replied quietly, before realizing the girl and boy were already walking along the road, talking and laughing together. Sakura dragged Mayu along.

"Yeah, Keira and Sauske spar, so they can work on their speed skills. Or, that was what they used to do. Now, Sauske holds back so much, and Keira too, that it's more for fun than training." Sakura said knowingly. There was a twinge of a sigh, however, when she said ". . . Sauske holds back so much, . . ." but to Mayu, it was unnoticeable. She was more focused on the girl. Her initial hyper cheerfulness died down, like it was an act, while a more subdued, echoing happiness and friendship traversed between the martial artist boy and ninja girl.

Keira walked along, still chatting with Sauske, while ignoring the other two behind her, allowing Mayu to continue to study the girl. Her almond-brown hair, almost as long as the observer's, was loosely tied into a long braid, rolling along down her spine. There was a small white bow at the end, swaying slowly as her body walked along, and a dark-blue bandanna tied around her forehead. Her arms and legs were slender and trim, and they moved with grace and elegance, as if her whole form simply floated along.

The girl's clothes only further accentuated the idea of a ninja girl. The two piece body suit, a dark blue-black, hung on tightly, reaching along her entire body, and making all her features that much more prominent. Her porcelain skin was hidden completely, except for the forearms, her ankles, her face, and the area in the small v-cut on the front of the shirt. That last bit, however, was hidden behind a thin, gray-black tank top, that was only visible in that tiny space.

Then there were the weapons. Attached to her belt was a sword; what it was called, Mayu didn't know. It looked like a katana, but those had a curve to them; this one was straight. And there was also the small pouches attached to other parts of her sash tied around her waist. Out of one poked a small metal handle, but nothing else could be seen. For some reason, though, the onlooker couldn't place fighting and her together.

She seemed so small and frail to Mayu's eyes. Her whole person was thin and light, with her whole body smaller than that of everyone else around. She was, generally, smaller than Naruto, even if she did have a height advantage, and that was not by much. Someone lifting her would probably find her weightless. Then again, she had seen the girl race away at almost thirty miles per hour. And Sauske had that same appearance of weakness and frailty about him, relatively to the traditional martial artists, and he seemed to have an unbelievable amount of power inside.

"I don't know, Keira, Mayu really wants to get the project done, and I don't know how long it's going to take." Sauske's words returned the observer back to the real world, as she ended her long, unintentional stare.

"What about it? Is something wrong?" Mayu said, but was unheard as Keira began to speak.

The ninja-girl nodded her head slowly. "I understand, Sauske-kun. What about later tonight? You shouldn't be working on that project all night, right?"

"I don't know, Keira. Dad's been acting a bit anxious lately, and I really do not want to get him riled up about anything." Sauske replied, letting his head drop just a tiny bit. "But I can check and call you back."

The girl nodded again, before Mayu forced her feet to catch her up. "What is it?" she blurted out quickly.

"We haven't been able to meet to train all week, and it looks like today's going to be like that again." Sauske replied with a sigh, before his face brightened a bit. "Well, there's always tomorrow."

The girl nodded, before Mayu broke in again. "What about right now?"

"Wha . . .?" Sauske asked, taken aback by her friends sudden interest in anything but getting the assignment done and forgetting about it. "Didn't you want to finish the project?"

"Well, we can wait. I mean, how long are you going to work out, an hour? Half an hour? That's fine with me, I can get started without you, if you want." Mayu wasn't exactly sure why she said that, but suddenly she wanted them to train. More to see how well Sauske could really fight than anything else, but there were probably other reasons too.

The pair blinked, staring back at the girl for a moment. Sakura, behind Mayu, where she couldn't be seen, joined in the staring. After a moment, though, Sauske broke off, murmured a few words to Keira, before they nodded to each other. "Are you sure, Mayu? I mean, it's not really imperative or anything." Sauske continued.

Mayu nodded. "It's fine, Sauske. Go on ahead. It's like you said, we have plenty of time to do our project." Secretly, she thought to herself, "And I want to see if you really live up to all the hype people at school say . . . and if this girl does too."

The boy nodded. "All right, Mayu, if you don't mind. I guess I'll see you in a few minutes, Keira, at the dojo. Okay?" The girl nodded, leaping back over the fence without even turning around, and disappeared. "Well, let's go." The boy finished, before continuing to walk home.

Mayu nodded, and slowly began to walk as well. Sakura, contemplating the previous events, continued to march along, eyeing the other girl strangely. Something seemed odd, but it quickly passed, as the trio strolled to the Tendo Dojo.

- - -

"I'm home!" Keira shouted, bursting in the front door, and racing through the restaurant to the back stairs in an instant, before vanishing upstairs. She grabbed a few more of her tools, and tied them onto her clothes, as well as taking a thick strand of wire. She glided back down the stairs, stopping at the counter.

"Well, what's your big hurry?" the girl's mother asked, looking up from her work. In the back room, Keira could hear her father continuing to work, trying to stay ahead of his mother's brisk schedule. "Something important, I guess."

The girl smiled uncertainly, before explaining her sudden rush. "Well, I was talking with Sauske, and we decided to spar now, instead of later. He's got a big science project to do, but now was the time we decided to spar. So, I won't be able to help at the restaurant for a little while, but . . . um, I can when I get back!"

"Fine with me, sugar." The woman replied, dropping down a bit of batter onto the stove for her usual, very late lunch. "Take your time if you need to, just be back before five. M'kay?"

"You don't mind me not being able to help for a while?"

Her mother laughed a bit. "Aw, honey, you ottah know we don't get any big rush for a while. Besides, you aren't the only one around to help, are you?"

The young teen smiled, a bit more confidently this time, before nodding. "All right, bye Mom!" she said, already at the door, and stepping outside. "Bye, Dad!"

"Bye, sugar!" the mother shouted, before there was a loud shout of "Have fun!" from the father, just as he walked out the door to the back room. As he said that, the door was already swinging closed, and the girl was gone. "She runs so fast." He murmured to himself for the millionth time.

"Oh, hadn't noticed." The woman said to him sarcastically, before grabbing another scoop of batter. "What do you want?"

"The same as always." He replied, before instantly stepping into, "They spar a lot nowadays, don't you think, Ukyo?"

Ukyo smiled a bit, before nodding her head. "Yeah, Konatsu, they do. But that's just because they're the only ones around who are fast enough to keep up with each other. And I think she's been teaching Sauske some of her own fighting style too."

"You're not worried?" Konatsu replied.

The woman shook her head, her brown hair shaking in the room. "Not at all, sugar. Let 'em have their fun. Besides, what's the point of being good at something, if you never get to use it?" she sighed. "Then again, you know how Sauske's been fighting recently. That's what worries me. It's worse than it used to be."

The male kunoichi blinked. "I don't understand. What's wrong with him? He's not the one tossing around throwing knives . . . not that that's a bad thing, since she knows when to use them. But he's careful."

"Too careful, honey. Way too careful. He could beat almost everyone he knows, and that's without even trying. The only person he doesn't hold back with is Naruto, not that he even has to try to fight with him. And he only does that because he knows Naruto's not going to leave him alone for an instant each day until he gets his fight. Everyone else, though, he won't put out his best effort."

"You don't actually think he's mocking them, do you?" Konatsu asked.

"Nah. But, . . . he's too much of a pacifist. I got a good feeling it's just going to make things worse for him someday." Ukyo returned. "That's what worries me."

- - -

"I'm here!" Keira shouted, shaking out the rain from her hair, as she stepped up into the training hall. The other three were in there, Mayu in her school uniform, Sakura in ordinary clothes, made up of a T-shirt and a pair of jeans, and Sauske in a pair of loose black slacks and a long sleeved shirt, also loose. Sauske nodded, smiling, as the other girls waited. Sakura was expecting to see another spectacular performance, and Mayu was hoping for anything really cool.

Keira continued walking in, slipping off her heavy shoes, her clothes still a bit damp from the rain. "Well, then, Sauske-kun, let's get this started, m'kay?"

Next Chapter: Keira and Sauske face off in their newest battle, and Akane goes up against her burden: her nephew.


	3. The Battle

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma 1/2_, nor claim to.

Chapter 3: The Battle:

"So, make the best of this test and don't ask why. It's not a question but a lesson learned in time." Green Day: _Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)_

"Well, then, Sauske-kun, let's get this started, m'kay?" Keira said loudly, staring at her opponent. The boy nodded, as they both smiled.

Sakura grabbed Mayu by the arm, pulling her back towards one of the walls. "This time, you really need to give them room. Stay back here." She said matter-of-fact-ly. Mayu saw the seriousness in the eyes of the combatants, even through their wide grins. This wasn't child's play. She would understand why soon.

Keira began wrapping the wire around the sword hilt, attaching it tightly to the scabbard. When she finished, the girl flicked the sword up once, checking to see that it would not separate from the sword. That completed, she glanced back up at the boy, before sliding her right foot back, and slowly lifting her arms up, covering the sides of her face. "Are you ready?" Keira said quietly, pushing the weapon back into her belt behind herself.

Sauske did the same, holding his arms steady by his head, lightly bobbing on his toes, before nodding. "Whenever you're ready, Keira." He said quietly.

Mayu saw the girl nod, and waited expectantly for the fight to begin. There was an unusual pause, as if something was about to explode. Time slowed, as the girl strained to see every detail.

That's when Keira kicked. In an instant, they had crossed the entire dojo. The kunoichi's foot swung out, swinging across at the boy's face, in an unbelievably fast strike. Sauske used all his speed to glide under successfully, before Keira body swung around. As she glided through the air, her left foot, behind her, with the turning of her body, moved in range. She shot her foot out in a back kick, straight for the boy's face again.

Sauske reversed his muscles instantly, launching his body upward. His form twisted violently, before his body began to roll backwards, clothes flapping in the breeze, and the foot of the girl rushed smoothly under his back. The rotation continued, as his jump pushed him away from her, until it made a complete turn, and he landed on his feet in a back flip, three feet behind where he just was, knees and legs compressed underneath him to keep balance.

Keira, now spinning around randomly, dropped her right foot back to the ground, twisting it to stop her turn. Using all her speed, she pushed forward, throwing a wide punch towards the boy's face. It swung in quickly, before he caught it in both hands, and held it there.

Sauske, now in control, began to push the girl back, before she attacked again. Reaching across her body with her free hand, she drew out her sword, locked into its sheath by the wire, and swung at his side. He released her hand, turning his arms and bringing them together to block the attack. There was a loud crack as the sheath smacked into his arms. The force behind the blow pushed him back a few feet, his toes sliding on the smooth floor, a small trail of dust forming along the path. He was safe; only his forearms hurt a tiny bit. But they were still at square one.

Mayu stared in amazement at the past few seconds. They had moved faster than . . .well, anything she could think of. Neither of them even seemed to notice any thing unusual about those attacks. Not even Sakura flinched at that loud blow by the sheathed sword.

Keira twisted the sword, and took two more steps forward, driving the sword down to the ground. Sauske rolled sideways on his shoulder, again out of the way safely, before the sheath crunched into the floor. Keira simply twisted the blade again, turning it to face him, and swung across. Sauske rolled back onto his feet just before the scabbard reached him. Driving his hands down, he pushed himself up off the floor, bringing his legs into a split to reach over the blade, before it swung harmlessly underneath him.

The boy swung his body around, throwing his feet forward. It wasn't to hit the girl, just force her to move away. Keira knew that, but being completely exposed, she had no choice, jumping backwards awkwardly, while still in mid-swing. She landed softly on her feet, before stumbling back another step. The boy slid his legs down to the ground, landing almost as softly. But Keira was faster, and so she moved first. Drawing the sword aside, she charged again.

Sauske dropped part of his control to give himself enough speed to catch the weapon. There was a loud chink as the metal clicked on the leather scabbard when it hit his hand, but it meant nothing. Keira tried to drag the sword away, but this time, Sauske held firm. Pulling with all his might, he jerked the sword from her hand, launching it high into the air. Reacting quickly, he swung one of his feet around towards her, prompting the girl to duck. With the height advantage this gave him, Sauske easily caught the sheathed weapon, and stepped back, out of reach.

Sakura was sitting, tracking the action. Her eyes had been trained to watch for mistakes and errors in an opponent, and to take advantage over them. The same could be said for Sauske, Keira, Kite, Naruto, even if he wasn't good at it, and hers, Kite's, and Keira's parents. Here, she couldn't see any flaws; or, any that she would be able to take advantage of, at least at this point of her training in kendo. Barehanded, however . . .

Keira decided to move to the next level. Both of her hands reached behind herself, into a pair of pouches, before they drew out two kunai. Those are long handled shurinkans, or throwing stars, used by ninjas as a powerful weapon. Sliding her fingers through the small ring at the end of each one, she began to spin them, as she charged again.

Catching them in her palms, she stopped them blade down, before she arrived at her target. A faint glow of energy began to surround her, streaming away from her body in thin lines that dissipated as she ran. Her feet stopped running, and her body simply slid along the floor, as Keira reached her destination. Her arms, swept back while running, swerved around, driving their blades towards the boy.

Sauske swung the sword up, catching the two kunai blades, as his muscles held them back. He waited there, keeping the girl pressing her own weapon back, for a few moments. Then, Sauske released the blade from one hand, twisting it around until it was parallel to the ground, causing one kunai to stay above, and one below. He thrust that hand up, forcing one shurinkan up and away, before releasing the sword. His free hand crossed over, pushing the girl's arm aside. With her front now exposed, he drove the hand previously holding the sword forward, shoving the girl back a few feet, the dust rising from her feet.

The kunoichi spun the kunai around, before crossing her hands across herself, and then swinging her arms forward, throwing the blades towards him. The faint blue trails exuded by her body grew brighter, but remained faint, and only appeared for a moment, before disintegrating into the natural light of the room.

Sauske released any control over his aura-less speed. Moving his fingers quickly, he forced his hands outward, towards the incoming attack, and caught them gently by the handle. Rushing forward, while the girl was still recovering from the last attacks, he swung, still carrying the kunai. His hand drove the handle straight for her face, and this time, she was unable to dodge in time.

The ring slowed in an instant, gently tapping her forehead. The boy held that position for several seconds; one arm extended forward, the other swept back. His legs were spread, keeping his precarious position stable, before his mind recovered, and the body relaxed. Slowly, he stood up, and piled the kunai into one hand, and returned them to the girl.

"Again?" he asked calmly, smiling a bit. The girl only paused a moment, the color surrounding her fading completely, before nodding.

- - -

Mayu had to close her mouth with her hand. Those two had just moved as fast as all those superheroes on TV, and they were barely even sweating. And they were throwing around knives and swords like toys. Now, they were beginning all over again, at slowly increasing speeds.

"Pretty incredible, isn't it?" Sakura said to the girl next to her.

Mayu suddenly broke her vision of the fight when she heard that, and nodded eagerly. "I've never seen anyone do that! Even when he was fighting Naruto, it seemed incredible; but this, . . . I can't even believe it."

Sakura laughed a bit. "And how long have you two been friends?"

The girl sighed a bit. "I never thought about that. We've been friends for years, but he never really talked about martial arts. I knew he practiced them, but I never saw him fight . . . never saw him do anything. I saw Sauske catch a glass of water without spilling it, or run along the fence, or jump from the roof to the ground . . . but never this."

"Aw, that's just my brother for you." Sakura replied, shrugging. "Never likes to brag, never wants to fight, always the pacifist. Weirdest guy to be a martial artist."

There was a loud crack, as Sauske blocked a speedy downswing of the sword with his arms. The boy shuddered for a moment, before he drew back his control, and moved away from the next strike. Mayu turned back to the fight. "You said something about Sauske holding back. If you ask me, he's trying his hardest right now." The boy's face winced, as his concentration grew even more resounding.

Sakura shook her head. "Look at Keira." Mayu did as she was told. "Do you see that faint blue glow around her, just barely visible again?"

Mayu stared a moment, before shaking her head. "I don't see anything."

"Eh, you probably aren't trained enough to see it. And it's pretty weak right now, even if it's growing. If you could see them, you would see a faint blue outline around the girl, trailing behind her. And if you looked at Sauske, you would see nothing."

"Well, what is it?"

Sakura turned to the girl. "It's a battle-aura." Mayu stared back blankly. "When a person fights, they build up a lot of energy inside themselves. That's why you sweat, and all that. Some of that energy, however, isn't heat or electricity or anything science talks about. And your body builds that up for a while. When it gets to a high point, which it does extremely quickly, it takes away from your strength and power."

"When you release it out into the world," Sakura continued, "you get all your strength back. That's where the glow comes from. Ever hear about those people who everyone says looks bigger when they fight?"

Mayu nodded, as there were several loud chinks as a group of throwing stars were embedded into the floor. "Yeah, I have."

"Well," Sakura replied, "that's an aura. It's only released, though, when the person let's their control down. So, it stays hidden, except when someone is really angry, or afraid, or determined, or pained. That's when it begins to come out, and it lets a person reach their full fighting potential."

"What does that have to do with Sauske?" the girl asked, watching as the two combatants crossed kunai.

Sakura sighed again, much deeper. "Sauske never lets that control go. He never releases his aura. Not even the slightest amount. And so, he's a lot weaker than he has to be."

Sauske leaned aside, before flipping over the Keira, and landing behind her. She swung her foot back, which the boy blocked with his hand, forcing him to tumble backwards. Reaching his feet, he launched himself back up, passing over the girl's head again.

"That's weak?" Mayu asked.

"Not weak in the traditional sense, but . . . well, it's just a subjective thing, you know." Sakura replied. Mayu paused, then nodded. "Why did you want them to fight?"

The younger girl looked back up, as the fight continued. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, don't think I didn't notice you offering to let them fight. And after you shouted at him for taking five minutes to get out of school, too. Why?"

"Um, well, it's just that," Mayu stumbled through the words, before she looked up into Sakura's eyes. Big mistake. The piercing green-yellow eyes shot straight to her soul, and kept her from being able to lie. "I mean, it's . . . it's just that . . . well . . ."

"I'm listening." Sakura replied, still staring.

Mayu took a deep breath, calming herself, as she turned back to the fight. Sauske stepped back, dodging a kick to his face, before leaning aside as Keira swung a kunai at him, then ducking as the girl leap behind him, and swung across his back with the sword. "I just wanted to see them fight."

Sakura sighed, before shaking her head, smiling, as she turned back to the battle. "Of course." She muttered sarcastically, but let the idea drop. It might be true; it might not. Didn't matter.

- - -

"Bye, Keira!" Sakura shouted finally, as the girl raced down the street, and the rain continued to pour down. She waved as the ninja disappeared, standing safely under the roof, before closing the screen, and walking back into the house. Mayu and Sauske had gone off to the living room to work on their project.

Slowly, she wandered upstairs, and walked down the hall to her room. On the way, however, she noticed her sister's door open, and so, Sakura stopped and looked inside. There was her sister, drawing at her desk again, a pile of schoolwork, all finished, next to her on the floor. "Hey, Auska." The older girl said slowly.

The young girl, jumping a bit from surprise, looked up at her older sister. "Oh, hi Sakura! Let me just finish this drawing, they you can see it!" she shouted cheerfully, a wide grin on her face.

The older sister, deciding to wait, leaned against the doorway, staring at her younger sister. The younger girl was drawing furiously, trying to put the finishing touches on, her red pigtails flicking back and forth. Her blue eyes never looked up, and a small smile spread across her face.

"Another tragic sufferer of CGS." Sakura thought to herself. Yes, CGS, commonly referred to as Cute Girl Syndrome, normally affecting young children, making them unbelievably adorable, unusually smart, and often giving them amazing talents. While normally limited to animation and magna characters, it has been known to spread to normal people. Saotome Auska was one of them.

Her younger sister by four years, with bright red hair, a pair of pigtails, just like her father, and a delightful smile. Auska hadn't hit her growth spurt yet, but she didn't let it get her down. Well, nothing ever seemed to get her down. She loved to draw, and she loved to sing, although she didn't do that in public. Except, of course, when she was . . .

"Done!" Auska shouted, pulling the sheet off the table, and walking quickly to the door. "Whattya think?!" the girl held the drawing up to her sister's face, smiling expectantly.

Sakura took it, smiling back, before looking at it. "I didn't get to color it yet, . . . but I think it's pretty good." Auska said from behind the sheet. Sakura just stared. It was a drawing of Shippo, the fox-demon from _Inu-Yasha_. If Takahashi Rumiko could draw it better, she hadn't yet.

"This . . . this is amazing!" Sakura replied, holding it for a moment, before handing it back to her sister. The younger girl smiled wider, nodding. It should be known that not only did the girl love school, and art, and singing, and everything like that, she was also amazingly good at those too.

- - -

Akane stormed down the hall on the lower floor. She had just gotten off the phone with a teacher, and she was pissed. It was bad enough that he slept through two of his classes, didn't do any of his homework, and that this had been going on for four years. The kicker was that he was doing this while his mother was still away. Not that he didn't do the same thing when she was around too.

She walked past the old guestroom, where twenty-two years ago, Ranma moved in. Normally, it would give her a good memory or two, but she completely ignored it. Turning the corner, she wandered into the other half of the house. They had added it on about four years ago, to accommodate Nabiki and her family. Since then, it was one of the best ideas she had ever had. It let Akane stay near her entire family, even if it did have its rough parts. Like this.

Turning again, into the second part of the house, she saw the boy's door, shut as always, and knowing him, he was either there, or helping his sister in her room. And since Amy was reading in the living room with Sauske and Mayu, he would be in his own room. She stormed up to the door, and stopped instantly, before banging on the door several times. "Joseph!" she shouted through the panel.

"What?" a boy's voice inside said bluntly.

"Open the door!"

"What is it, Aunt Akane?" There was some shuffling sounds inside.

Akane clenched one of her hands into a fist. "I want to talk to you," she began, trying to stay calm, "about school today."

"What about it?"

"Open the door already!" Akane shouted again, banging on the door several more times.

"All right, all right, fine. Just calm down for a second." There was a pause, before some more shuffling sounds, and the door opened. "What?"

A blond-haired boy, Akane's nephew, poked his head out the door. His face was small, and she had to look down at him, since he was still growing. Joseph was only fourteen, and the older of Nabiki and Brandon's two children. He had no interest in martial arts whatsoever. But that wasn't what constantly got him into trouble. It was the fact that he was an absolute delinquent, and he was smart enough, by a long shot, to pass every class with flying colors.

"What the hell do you think?! I just got a call from one of your teachers, and they said you not only didn't do your homework, you slept through two classes!" Akane shouted, staring angrily at the boy. "What is wrong with you?!"

"I didn't want to do it." He replied coldly.

"Didn't want to?!" Akane shouted louder. "Just because you don't want to do something, doesn't mean you can just not do it! You have to do your work!"

"Why?"

Akane steamed, trying to control her temper, in order to prevent herself from throwing a tantrum at the boy for not getting it for a change. "Why?! . . . Listen, Joseph. School's important."

"I know that!" Joseph shot back, sliding the door open more, and leaning against the wall.

"I know. We've said it so many times, but that's because we mean it. You have to go to school, get an education."

Joseph sighed, before looking up at the woman. "And if I don't care?"

Akane sighed. "Well, if you don't really care, eventually, you'll be kicked out of school, then when you're old enough, you'll get kicked out of here, and be on your own, with nothing to set you above anyone else, probably. So I suggest you start caring."

"Phh, yeah right." He shot back again.

"Don't believe me?" Akane replied, all the lessons Nabiki had given her returning. "Or don't want to, because it's true?"

The boy paused a moment, before rolling his eyes. "Well, what if it's too hard?"

"Oh, don't give me that!" Akane shouted again, shaking her head. "You already learned how to speak Japanese **and** English almost perfectly, and you're really smart! Why can't you just try and **do** your work?"

"Because I don't see the point! If I'm smart, why do I need to prove it in school?!" Joseph shouted again.

Akane prepared to scream at him again, before she drew in all her anger again. Ranma would need to help her with this later; the rage, not the nephew. How Nabiki could ever stand him, she didn't know. "Just because you're smart, it doesn't mean you know everything they're teaching at school. If you really want to learn this stuff, you got to go and pay attention at school, and do your work. Understand?"

Joseph sighed angrily. "Yeah, whatever." He replied, before closing the door.

Akane caught it in her hand. "Oh, by the way, . . . since your mother isn't here, and since you decided to sleep in two classes, you are grounded here for the next two days, plus another day for not doing all of your homework. Understand?"

"What?!" Joseph shouted back, sliding the door open wide. "That's not fair!"

"Since when?"

"Who said you make the rules?!" Joseph shouted.

Akane smiled. "Well, let's see." She began counting off on her fingers. "It's **my** house, it's **my **dojo, it's **my **job, given to **me **by your mother, to keep you in line, and it's **my **decision."

The boy growled angrily, staring his aunt down a bit, before giving up, and turning back to his room. "Who cares."

Akane frowned. That didn't work right, unless . . . "And, since you didn't get any of your homework done yesterday," she said slyly, "you won't get to come with us when we go to Ucchan's this week. I'll just make you some noodles or something, and you can stay home. All right?"

The boy paused, his eyes widening. "You . . . you wouldn't actually . . . do that?" Akane nodded. Joseph paled a bit, before he realized something, and calmed back down. "Wait a minute. We aren't even going to Ucchan's this week anyway."

Akane frowned again. "All right, I'll cut you a deal."

The boy looked back, his head tilted. "What is it?"

"We go to Ucchan's tonight, and you get to come, if you show me all of your homework done by six. Deal?"

The boy paused, thinking it over, before glancing at his bag. Well, just this once, he could work for food. "All right, fine." He said in a gruff voice. Akane smiled, and walked out of the room, towards the kitchen.

- - -

"Ranma, you in here?" she said quietly, walking into their bedroom. She had been searching for him for the past few minutes, and this was the last place to look.

The man looked up, still lying on his back from staring at the ceiling. "Oh, hi Akane. What's up?" he continued, leaning back down.

"I was talking to Joseph, and . . ."  
"I figured that was who you were yellin' at." Her husband replied.

Akane shook her head, continuing. "As I was saying, I was talking to Joseph, and I said we would go to Ucchan's if he did all of his homework by six. So, I just wanted to make sure that was okay with you."

Ranma looked up, surprised. "Wow, good timing."

Akane blinked, looking at him strangely. "What are you talking about?"

"Ryoga just called." Ranma replied. "He said he was gonna' go to Ucchan's with his family tonight, and he and Ukyo said we could all meet together again there tonight. So I guess we're goin' to go, huh?"

Akane nodded her head, walking to the door, sighing. She would have to suck it up, meeting him again. It had been so many years, she had almost completely forgiven him. And now she knew that none of what could have happened did. And then, Shampoo and Mousse would be meeting them tonight.

Would this day get any better?

Next Chapter: Ranma, Akane, and their entire family, along with Joseph and Amy, go out to dinner at Ucchan's, and an important secret is discussed.


	4. A Big Dinner

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2, nor claim to.

Chapter 4: A Big Dinner:

"This is how you remind me of what I really am. It's not like you to say sorry. I was waiting on a different story." Nickleback: _How You Remind Me_

"YAY!" Auska cheered, as the entire Saotome family and the two Reynolds children walked into the restaurant. Everyone was smiling; Joseph even seemed cheerful. The group noticed the Hibikis had already arrived, and Ukyo and Konatsu working like crazy to finish the meals for the other customers. Keira and her younger brother Haku were arranging a few tables for the themselves and the other children, Kite and Naruto were gathering chairs, while Ryoga and Akari, along with two other stools reserved for Ranma and Akane, sat at the counter.

The two generations separated, as Sauske, Auska, Sakura, Joseph, and Amy walked over to help rearrange the tables, before taking their seats.

It took a few minutes, but soon, the tables were all lined up, one end at a wall, the other into the center of the room. On one side, starting at the wall, were Joseph, Amy, Kite, and Naruto, while Auska, Haku, Sakura, and Sauske sat across from them, respectively, and Keira took the seat at the end of the tables, next to Naruto and Sauske. At the counter, the three couples met; Ukyo and Konatsu on one side, still half-working, while Akari, Ryoga, Ranma, and Akane sat on the stools on the other side, in that order.

Keira pulled a small notebook from the pocket in her blue jeans, while she stood back up, along with a pencil. She carefully straightened her teal T-shirt, then ran her finger over her blue bandanna to brush the hair out of her eyes, before walking to the far end of the table. It may be time for her to eat, but she still had to do work for the restaurant. "All right, Auska, what do you want?" she said loudly, grabbing the attention of everyone before they got engaged in long conversations.

"Um, well, . . . I dunno'." She replied sheepishly, trying to think. "I'll just have . . . um, well . . . it's all so good, but . . ."

"Everything, like always. Right?" Keira replied, smiling. Auska nodded, returning the smile. "And the usual for you, right, Haku?" Her brother nodded enthusiastically, his hair rustling around more.

When it was her turn, Amy ordered her food, before digging her hand into her pocket. After fumbling for a moment, she found what she was searching for, and pulled it out. Taking off the cap, she clamped her lips over the end. There was a loud hiss as the medication was forced out, before she took a few deep breaths, and recapped the inhaler, returning it to her pocket. She couldn't wait for this to be finally over. The doctors said she was growing out of her asthma. Now, it was no longer a burden; dealing with the problems was more of a chore.

The girl brushed back her brown hair, grown out into a long ponytail, over her shoulder, and onto the chair behind her. The green skirt and white shirt was similar to her normal school uniform, but she liked those colors all the time. But now was not the time to go over that; she smiled pleasantly, while the conversation began again with the other three around her that were her own age.

Haku smiled back from the other side of the table. He was glad it was Keira's turn to take orders; so, he didn't have to do anything, even if it really was his turn. He slouched down in his seat, further wrinkling his plain tan polo shirt and khaki pants, as his mop of blond hair drifted back down flat onto his head. It was good to be among friends, and escape from some responsibility.

Well, not really.

Keira, finishing the orders, brought them up to her mother, who promptly began to cook them. With that, she returned to her seat, and the conversations began again.

"Ooh, I'm so hungry!" Haku muttered, but never let his concentration waver.

Auska smiled, nodding at him, her red pigtails settling along her shoulders. "Yeah, I can't wait for the food to be done!"

"Are you two ever not hungry?" Joseph replied bluntly.

"Oh, Joseph, it's not so bad." Amy continued, also smiling. "At least they know they're hungry."

"You still smell, you know." Sakura said to the boy across from her, shaking her head. "Have you ever taken a bath before, or what?"

Kite sighed back to her. "Is that the only thing you can ever talk about with me?" The girl nodded gravely.

"It's not that great, Sauske." Naruto replied, turning his head in disgust.

The other boy, without a change in his normal voice, mumbled, "And yet I don't think you ever tried to jump from roof to roof in my neighborhood, have you?"

Naruto paused, before shaking his head in partial defeat. Keira smiled. "Oh, Sauske, it would be so amazing to see you do that. You're just so cool and **cute**!" Sauske paused, blinking. Naruto turned sheet white, his mouth gaping.

At that time, a familiar hand, at least to Keira, grabbed her from behind the neck, before the fingers wrapped around her throat. "Uh . . . heh heh, oops." The sitting girl said tentatively.

"Where did you get those?" the female owner of the hand said loudly, and angrily. A faint glow of red began to form between the fingers of the hand.

"What, these?" the sitting girl replied, while trying to smile through fear. "I . . . I bought them with my own money. I didn't take them from you or anything like that."

The hand tightened its grip on the sitting girl, before the voice returned. "And what about the two of you, huh? Want to explain why you're here, or just drop the act?"

Keira nodded as best she could with a hand around her throat, before her concentration faded. Suddenly, Haku winked out and vanished in a small puff of smoke and fog. "That's better." The girl said, as the entire table looked up at her, and the shock and surprise disappeared. "Now, can you just go and change on your own, or should I rearrange your face for you?"

Keira shook her head. "NO! . . . I mean, I can do it. No more games, okay? Promise." The hand loosened, before it re-grabbed her by the shoulder, lifting her to her feet, and shoving her away. Keira sighed in relief, nodded, and ran as fast as she could to her room. Or, his room.

The real Keira, dressed exactly the same in her own teal T-shirt, blue bandanna, and blue jeans, took back her seat, where her brother had been. "He's so annoying." She mumbled, resting her elbows on the table, and leaning her face into her hands. Sauske rolled his eyes, but smiled a bit, comfortingly. Naruto, finally realizing it was Haku who was pretending to be Keira, and not really Keira, relaxed, closed his mouth, and sighed in relief.

- - -

Ukyo sighed, before continuing to work. "Well, Ranma, Akane, what's been going on with you two?"

"Ugh." Akane blurted out. "Don't get me started." Ranma, although surprised, nodded a bit in agreement.

"What's wrong?" Akari added in, as everyone but Ranma turned to stare at Akane.

Akane sighed, letting her head droop. "Joseph, for one. I can't wait for Nabiki to get back and deal with him. Him, plus keeping up an oversized house and a group of twenty-three martial arts students a day is just too much. And then there's Shampoo."

Ranma turned to her, blinking. "I thought you said it was fine?"

"It is, Ranma, okay?!" She quietly shouted back, glaring at him, before sighing further.

"Shampoo?" Ryoga asked, leaning forward to see his friends better. "What are you talking about? Is she coming to Nerima again?"

"Worse." Akane replied quietly.

Ranma rolled his eyes a bit, secretly so his wife wouldn't throw him into the wall, before turning to everyone else. "She's moving here." Everyone's eyes went wide. "I mean, she already has, a couple of weeks ago, and she's coming to visit with her older daughter and Mousse tonight."

Ukyo tightened her grip on her spatula secretly, before flipping another okonomiyaki into the air. She could barely stand Shampoo, even less than Akane could. She was just too annoying, constantly writing Ranma, and almost exclusively Ranma, even after his marriage to Akane. They both knew there was nothing in it, because Ranma would be dead right now, twice over, if there ever were an affair or something like that. But, . . . couldn't she at least talk to other people.

Slowly, though, the two angry women began to relax. It was over and done with. Ranma and Shampoo were friends, and that was all. They **had** to remember that, because then everything made sense. It was time to let go; Shampoo loved Mousse, and Ranma loved Akane. Nothing more to it than old friends who like to keep in contact.

- - -

Haku bounded down the stairs, before running over to his chair, dressed like his doppelganger was dressed. He slid into his seat, smiling at Joseph, Amy, and Auska, before turning to see his sister at the other end of the table. She was glaring at him. And not the happy kind of glare; more the I-know-what-you-told-them-so-you-better-start-running-tonight kind of glare.

"Keira!" her mother shouted from the counter. "Orders up!" The girl broke her intense stare at her younger brother, before happily jumping up, and taking the tray and carrying it back to the table. Starting at the wall end, and working her way back to her seat and then her mother, she politely placed the plate down in front of her friends, before she got to her brother. There, she began her intense glare again, placing his plate down, before smiling again as she moved to the next person. When they were all done, she brought the large, round tray back to her mother, and sat down in her seat, about to eat.

"Hey, Sauske!" Naruto said from across the table. "I bet I can eat mine faster than you!"

"Jeeze, Naruto, do you have to turn everything you do into a competition?" Keira replied, rolling her eyes.

Sauske sighed. He knew Naruto would not stop pestering him until after he got some stupid challenge out of his system. "All right, fine. But just half."

"Deal!" Naruto replied happily, before slicing his okonomiyaki down the middle. Sauske followed, and both boys held their half up to their face. "On three. One . . . two . . . THREE!"

Nartuo shoved the okonomiyaki into his face, taking huge bites. He was already halfway through the half he was holding, and . . . "Done." Sauske said quietly from the other side of the table, wiping sauce from his face. Keira blinked, before nodding. Naruto froze, unable to believe he had just eaten that whole thing. But it was gone.

"Howb youdble duoblh thagle?"

"Swallow first, you idiot!" Keira shouted at the boy, punching him in the shoulder. Naruto began to chew slowly, watching Sauske. After a moment, he shook his fist at him.

- - -

"What's wrong with you, Ranma?" Konatsu asked, carrying a clean pile of dishes. The man in question was leaning over the counter again, staring down intently, but his eyes looked distant and concerned.

Ranma looked up, apparently as disappointed about something as Akane. "The stupid soap order is late **again**!" he said glumly.

"We freakin' KNOW that, Ranma!" Akane shouted at him angrily, louder than she expected, before turning back. She sighed, shaking her head, before whispering to her husband. "Sorry. It's been a long day." Ranma nodded apologetically, understanding it all.

"Soap?" Ukyo replied, temporarily forgetting what Ranma meant.

"Yeah, the waterproof soap from that Jusenkyo company." Ranma answered, shaking his head. "It's a month late again. And the best they've sent me is a letter sayin' it's gonna' be late. I can't take it anymore!"

Ryoga stared at Ranma, shaking his head a tiny bit. "You still use that stuff, Ranma?"

"Yeah, Ryoga, I do!" Ranma replied, glaring at his friend and rival. "Because, unlike you, I can't just get splashed with cold water an' go to work. If you become a pig or somethin', you can still train pigs and all that! I can't teach martial arts classes as a man one day, and a woman the next, okay?!"

With the exception of a small twitch of Akane's lips, there was no reaction to just the phrase "you become a pig."

There was a general sigh at that, before there was a pause. Ranma stared at his small section of counter again, before speaking again. "Besides, I'm worried more about them dealin' with life without it than me. That's why I keep usin' it, Ryoga." He said, flicking his head back to show he was talking about his children.

- - -

"So, how is the ranch doing?" Sakura said quietly, trying to keep a conversation going with Kite.

Kite sighed. "You know, same old same old, and all that. Can't complain, really." He paused a moment, taking a large bite out of his okonomiyaki, as some of the crumbs dropped onto his dark gray pants. "You?"

"I guess the same." She muttered quietly, before taking another bite of her food. The awkward silence began to spread again.

"That's good," was all that Kite could muster for a reply, before the silence began again.

- - -

Ukyo blinked, before nodding. She had almost forgotten about the curses. "They all have one. Naruto, Sauske, Kite, Sakura, Auska. They all have a curse of their own." She thought to herself.

"I don't see what the problem is. Kite and Naruto are doing fine without it." Akari replied over her husband's shoulder.

Akane sighed, not out of sadness, but instead, recognition. "Well, Sakura can't stand her curse. And Auska is . . . delicate when she changes. So much, it'd be real dangerous to let her live that way."

"It's not so bad for them anyway." Ranma continued. "It's not like they're in danger whenever they change, or hate it more than . . ."

"Kite hates his curse." Ryoga interrupted. "Probably more than Sakura ever could hate her own. And let's not forget . . ." Akari elbowed him, but everyone knew what he meant. That definitely didn't lift the somber mood.

Ranma sighed. While Sakura may have disagreed at that, he couldn't. Kite was more than cursed. He was cursed and cursed again. "All right, ya got me there."

"Do you think Shampoo's children are cursed too?" Konatsu asked, pulling out some plates to put the okonomiyakis on.

Everyone turned. "I never thought of that." Akane replied, pausing.

"They are." Ranma replied knowingly. "I went to 'em when we first found out Sakura was cursed, an' they told me all about the symbiosis stuff, or whatever it was called. Their older son was cursed at the same time. Along with Kite. By now, they all must have curses too."

- - -

Naruto scooted his chair back, as the cup fell over. The water spilled out, rolling along the table, and onto the side of his leg. At least it missed his lap. That would have soaked him a lot worse. He grabbed his napkin immediately, blotting as much as he could. He couldn't let himself change, not in front of Keira.

"Oh, jeeze, Naruto, I'm sorry." Keira said, picking the cup up. "I didn't see it there. You okay?"

Naruto paused. Nothing was happening. Thank god there wasn't enough water there. How his father had eve managed to work through this when even the smallest amount would cause him to turn into a pig, he didn't know. He was just glad he could take a bit of a soaking before he changed. "It's okay, Keira. Don't worry about it!" he shouted back with a smile, a bit of color returning to his pale face.

Sauske stared across the table for a moment. Something really made Naruto dodge that water fast. Was he hiding something? He couldn't be . . . cursed like he was, could he?

- - -

"Do they know?" Ryoga asked, turning back to the group, after watching his son dodge the spilled water. "I mean, do they know about Kite and Naruto?"

Akane shook her head. "No, I never told them. Did you, Ranma?"

"I didn't. I mean, they know about yours, and mine, and Shampoo's, and Mousse's, and Pop's, but not Kite and Naruto." Ranma replied. "Figured they'd find out themselves by now. Guess not, seein' what just happened, Ryoga."

"I didn't tell Keira or Haku either, sugar." Ukyo replied, finally finishing the set of okonomiyakis for all of them.

Placing out the plates, everyone began to eat rapidly, except for Akari and Akane. Ukyo, finished in seconds, began to immediately collect the plates from everyone else. Konatsu was done next, before going around to the children's table, gathering the plates there. Ranma was after him, followed by Ryoga, only an instant behind.

Akane and Akari ate slowly. They were used to finishing last. Ukyo and Konatsu had work to do, and Ryoga and Ranma couldn't help but compete. "Like father, like son." Both women repeated in their heads.

- - -

"Wow, Auska, this is even better than your last drawing!" Haku said enthusiastically, looking at the perfectly colored, shaded, and detailed picture of a smiling Kagome from _Inu-Yasha._

"I drew another one with Shippo, but I couldn't color it in time." She replied glumly. That one was so much better. Haku handed the drawing across the table to Amy and Joseph. They looked down.

"Whoa!" Joseph replied, his eyes wide. This was just as incredible as every other drawing he had seen his cousin draw.

"This is great, Auska! You're such a good artist!" Amy said, and the redheaded girl smiled. "I wish I could draw like that."

"I could teach you!" Auska replied, smiling. Amy paused, thinking that over, before nodding, smiling wider.

- - -

Sauske leaned back in his chair, as Keira and Naruto began to argue about something again. Self-preservation told him to not get involved. His mind trailed back to the afternoon. That cat . . . it didn't seem to fit in, and the way it acted . . .

* * *

Sauske stepped along the sidewalk, spinning his green umbrella over him out of boredom, before his eyes looked up. The clouds were still thick and gray, even with the rain beginning to subside. Slowly, his eyes trailed away, as he saw it there.

A large cat, its front paws clamped over the top edge of the roof, was struggling to climb back up, its back legs running as fast as it could, trying to pull itself from the brink.

The boy paused for a moment, watching the cat struggle, in the large alleyway between two buildings, before he instinctively lurched forward, running to the fire escape stairs. He bounded up the steps three at a time, turning rapidly, hoping to save the cat before it fell, when suddenly, its claws gripped in, and it scurried onto the roof.

Deciding it was best to follow anyway, just to be safe, Sauske continued up to the top of the building, before reaching up, and pulling himself onto the roof. Once there, he lifted his umbrella up to shield himself from the rain, before scanning for the animal.

There, in the center, was the cat, looking all around, smelling the air for something. Sauske slowly approached, taking his time, and trying not to spook the animal. He wanted a better look at it, when the cat turned to continue along the street. It sprinted along, until it reached the edge of the roof. There, it leapt off the edge, trying to reach the next roof.

The boy began running immediately. He raced to the other end of the building, and jumped across. He felt the wind rush past, as he floated over the alleyway below. His feet swung forward, ready to land on the next roof, as he cleared the edge. His legs crumpled, softening the landing, before his entire body fell forward, rolling along the ground. Sauske hopped up, onto his feet again, and searched the area quickly with his eyes.

The cat wasn't there.

He raced back to the edge of the roof, and there was the animal, struggling to pull itself up. Sauske leaned down, hoping it wouldn't think he was a threat, and pulled it up to safety. Once it was safely on the roof, the cat pulled itself free from his grasp, and sauntered down under his umbrella, a portable shelter from the rain. Shaking itself dry, its eyes looked up. "Meow."

Sauske blinked, looking the cat over. It wasn't an ordinary house cat. No only was it almost twice as big as the average cat, the animal was very muscular, with large paws. It had a shiny, brown-tan fur coat, with dark blue-black spots, and there were small tufts of black hair on the ends of its ears, making them seem longer. It's eyes were a soft green, staring straight back at him. They were neither afraid nor angry. The cat had this wondering look, as if it was asking "Why?"

Sauske leaned down, bringing itself closer to the cat. It leaned back a bit, before relaxing, and watching the boy carefully. "Well, where are you going, little fellow?"

If cats could roll their eyes and sigh, this one did. "Meow."

"Are you trying to find your home?" Sauske asked, more out of habit than an actual expectation that it would understand.

The cat, however, did. It nodded its head, then started scratching at a piece of blue cloth that was tied around its right front leg. There was another one on its left leg too, but the cat seemed very intent at pulling the right one off. Sauske noticed, upon further examination, that there was a piece of paper hidden behind it. He reached down carefully, before pulling it free and opening it.

"What the . . . ?" he thought to himself. There was an address written in blue pen, to a place not far from where he was. "Is this where you live?" he asked out loud, and the cat nodded. "Wow, smart cat." The cat beamed with pride.

"Well, here, I'll carry you down . . . oh, wow, you're heavy . . . h-h-hey now, no need to use the claws . . . OW! All right, all right, I'm sorry, you're light as a feather! I thought I was carrying a pillow! Just stop squirming!"

The cat calmed down, retracting its large, and very sharp, as Sauske now knew, claws, until they reached the ground. Once they were down again, it began to squirm, until he let it go. It landed softly, and began to walk next to him. They walked in silence, Sauske leading, the cat following next to him. "Meow."

"What, are you hungry?" Sauske replied, looking down at his feline companion. It shook his head. "Well, all right."

"Meow."

"Do you want me to carry you?" the cat shook its head again.

"Meow."

"What is it?" Sauske replied, starting to get aggravated, before he realized he was being pushed. The cat, behind him, was leaning on the back of his leg, and walking as quickly as it could. Sauske moved his leg, and the cat stumbled forward, before glaring up at him. "Don't worry, we're almost there. Just another block."

The cat followed, dejectedly, crossing the street, before they stopped at the door. "Well, here we are, building number one thousand two hundred forty."

"Mreeeooow."

Sauske, hearing its aggravated squeal, looked down at the cat, as it stared back. When eye contact was established, it shook his head, and began to walk down the street again. "Hey, wait. This is the address . . . wait a minute." Looking down at the paper again, . . . "Oh, the ink got smudged in the rain. It's building twelve ninety. That's just a bit further down the street, cat . . . hey, wait up!"

After another minute of walking, the boy and cat reached the new building. There were large glass windows, with brown paper hung up inside to hide what was going on. The door had a "Closed" sign over it, with "Opening Soon" below it. Sauske looked up, reading the sign. "Huh, a Chinese restaurant. Sorry, cat, but I don't think . . ."

The cat was banging on the door, but it barely made a sound. Inside, there was the noise of working and constructing, as something was being built or remodeled. Sauske sighed, before knocking loudly on the door. He might as well believe the cat; it hadn't led him wrong yet.

Suddenly, the door opened, a middle-aged Chinese woman, with long purple hair, opened the door. She was dressed in overalls, her work clothes underneath, covered with paint stains, and with a man about the same age, similarly dressed, with long black hair and thick glasses, behind him. "I sorry, but we closed . . . oh." She muttered, as the cat rushed inside and disappeared.

"Sorry to bother you or anything, but I found this cat, and it had a note with this address. I hope this is the right place." Sauske said quickly.

"Oh, thank you." The woman continued, taking the note. "Please, come in, out of rain."

"No, that's all right. I have to go home now anyway." Sauske replied, smiling, before he turned and walked back the way he was going before.

"Thank you!" The woman shouted, smiling, along with the man behind her, before she slowly closed the door.

* * *

Ukyo sighed. It was almost seven-thirty, and Ranma, Akane, Ryoga, and Akari were all getting ready to leave. She still wanted to talk with them, but . . . she could always go and visit.

"Well, see ya later, Ucchan!" Ranma said, with a friendly smile, before Akane dragged him away before he could order more okonomiyaki. Their children followed, along with Akari, Ryoga, Kite, and Naruto.

"Tell Shampoo and Mousse to come and visit me too!" she shouted back on the spur of the moment. Ranma nodded, and waved.

As they disappeared, the family began to clear away the dishes, as new customers began to enter. The mother sighed to herself again. She hoped Shampoo and Mousse were willing to see her again; she had put the past behind her a bit more, and hopefully, they had too.

Next Chapter: After a few domestic issues, Shampoo, Mousse, and their elder daughter Aki finally arrive at the dojo, starting a new chain of events.

* * *

Well, that's the end of this chapter. I finally thought of something to put here in my author notes. Seeing as this takes place twenty-two years after Ranma 1/2 begins, you probably ought to know how some of the characters have changed.

While this stuff isn't set in stone, hopefully you'll have a better understanding of how everyone got to where they are, and how everyone acts now. There's also information on their fighting abilities. The ranks are 1 through 5, with 1 being a normal, untrained human, 2 being a well trained person, such as a black belt martial artist, 3 is an just beyond normal human limits, like Shampoo was when she first arrived, 4 being extreme levels of power, and 5 being superhuman.

_Saotome Ranma_:

Age: 38

Occupation: Martial arts teacher at the Tendo School of Indiscriminate Grappling

Abilities:

Speed: 4

Strength: 4

Stamina: 5

Ki: 3

Aura: ?

Special Techniques: ?

Ranma is the most powerful martial artists since he arrived in Tokyo twenty-two years ago. His powers since then have grown many times over, and his skill and ingenuity is currently unmatched. In his mid twenties, for example, he created several special techniques, which had never existed before, although nobody except Akane has seen all of them.

After things had settled down a bit in Tokyo, Ranma was finally able to solve some of his problems, and it culminated with him finally marrying Akane. After that, everything else began falling into place, and his old friends and rivals either accepted what happened, moved away, or both. His father moved back in with his mother, and slowly everything else settled down. The only person whom Ranma consistently fights with is Ryoga. They spar once a week, more out of a necessity to fight someone at least reasonably equal in skill.

After three years of marriage, Akane and Ranma had their first child, Sakura. The next year, Sauske was born, and a few years after that, Auska, their third and final child was born. Then and now, his children are the most important thing to him, along with Akane. On many occasions he has been willing to give his life to protect them from something, and on almost one out of five of those occasions, he almost did. Although they have their differences, he loves all of his children completely, whether they are insolent (Sakura), passive (Sauske), or have little interest in martial arts (Auska).

In appearance, Ranma has changed little between the ages of 16 and 38. His hair has gained a few gray lines, but it is indistinct and overpowered by the majority of black hair remaining. He still has his short pigtail and his semi-muscular appearance, with only a new set of scars formed over the older ones. And of course, he still wears his favorite, although they are now old and torn, repaired, torn, and repaired again, Chinese shirts and pants. When in his female form, Ranma has lost a bit of his beauty, but it's made up for by a much more relaxed attitude when he is a she.

As for the relationship between Ranma and Akane, things have settled a bit. She does still hit him sometimes, although not nearly as much as before. He does sometimes poke fun at her, although again, not nearly as much as when they first met.

Overall, to Ranma, even when they go through a stressful time, everything around him is finally going well.


	5. New Kid in the Dojo

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma 1/2_, nor claim to.

Chapter 5: New Kid in the Dojo:

"Hello my friend, we meet again. It's been a while, where should we begin . . .feels like forever." Creed: _My Sacrifice_

Ranma sighed as he walked in the door, Akane leaning on him, her arm reached around his side. Their children, all walking in front of them, had instantly spread throughout the entire house. The man led his wife along to the living room, and they sat down. There, they both waited for a moment. Ranma turned to Akane again, as her head drooped a bit. "You okay?"

Akane perked up, shaking her head a bit to chase away the sleepiness. "Yeah, I'm fine Ranma." She paused for a moment, before letting go of his side, and stood up. "I'm going to make some tea."

Ranma hopped up quickly, and gently pulled her back to her seat. "No, I'll get it. Take a sec', and relax, 'kay, Akane?" Reluctantly, Akane nodded, sitting back down. After a moment, though, she heard the sound of someone running in the halls. She glanced up at the clock. It was that time again.

"Ranma, I'm going to put Amy, Joseph, and Auska to bed. Be back in a minute." Akane said, standing up slowly.

Ranma nodded, before he realized something. He bolted back out of the kitchen, and ducked in front of her. "Changed my mind, Akchan." He said quickly, stretching his arms across the doorway to stop her from walking. Akane looked up, annoyed that he kept doing this. "I'll put 'em to bed, you make the tea. I gotta' talk to Auska, Sakura, and Sauske anyway."

Akane would have disagreed, but she was too tired to, so she just nodded, and walked back to the kitchen, as Ranma turned and walked down the hall. Snatching a kettle from the wall, and filling it with water, she placed it on the stove to heat. Next, she reached up into one of the cupboards and took down a box.

Opening the lid, the fresh aroma whisked past her, and began to fill the room, slowly permeating the cool air. She leaned against the counter, bringing the box up to her nose, and taking a long, deep sniff. The smell was intoxicating, and she sighed happily as she placed the box down. And then, she heard Ranma shouting.

"Yes, you have to go to bed now! . . . Listen, I don't care . . . she's not here right now! . . . Why?! Because I told ya to! . . . Will you just cut it out already! . . . No, you can't just . . . ENOUGH! Just go . . . fine, take your bath, then go to bed! . . . And I'm going to check to see you're in bed in fifteen minutes!"

Akane sighed, as she heard the last shouts die down. How does Nabiki deal with Joseph and keep a straight face? The woman mused over that thought for a moment, unable to think of an answer. But it did give her one thing to figure out. Shouldn't she and Ranma try just as hard to make things work as Nabiki and her husband?

- - -

Auska yawned a bit, before blinking, and shaking her head to clear away the drowsiness. She didn't know why her father wanted to talk to all of them. Slowly, Sauske walked in, followed by her father, who was carrying a small bag, and they both sat down. The three children sat together facing their father.

After a moment, Ranma looked up, a serious feeling emanating from his eyes. "First off, Sauske, Sakura, some of my old friends are coming tonight, and they are bringing their daughter. You are **not** ta' get in a fight with her, no matter what. Understand?" The boy and girl nodded.

"Good." Ranma said loudly to himself, before pausing again. He wished he could explain **why** Sakura and Sauske couldn't fight Shampoo's daughter, but there just wasn't enough time. It was getting late, so this would have to do. Besides, he had already told them most of the stories of with himself and Shampoo. They could figure it out.

"Is that it?" Sakura asked tentatively in the long pause.

"No, actually." Ranma replied, thinking over how he should say this. "The other thing is . . . well, I'll just tell ya straight out. We're running out of waterproof soap, and the package hasn't arrived yet." Sauske nodded, Auska blinked, and Sakura gasped. "Sakura, Sauske, go get whatever you have left from your room, and bring it down here."

Not understanding why, the two older children nodded, stood up, and left the room.

- - -

"That's all?" Ranma asked, picking up the small bag he brought with him, as he looked at the soap piles Sakura and Sauske had created. The two children nodded. "Are you sure?" They nodded again. Ranma turned to Sakura. "Are you really sure?" the girl nodded again, and Ranma was forced to accept the truth.

He opened the bag, pouring out what was left of his waterproof soap. All together, the three had two chips about the size of a five yen coin and about as thick, and one big chunk about the same thickness, while still in a bar shape. Ranma's shoulders dropped, before he turned to Auska. "All right, Auska, here you go." He said, pushing the meager stack towards her. "It's not much, but it should last you a little while."

"Eh?" Auska stared at her father as the small pile slid over. "What do you mean, Daddy?"

"It's yours."

"Whoa, wait just one second!" Sakura shouted. "Are you saying we don't get any?!"

"Yeah."

"Well, that's not fair!"

Ranma sighed. This could take a while. "Sakura, lets not forget who needs the soap the most." He nodded towards Auska.

Auska turned to her sister. "Its fine, daddy. Here, we can share all of this, Sakura. I just opened a new bar I found in the closet anyway. That should be enough for both of us, right?"

Sakura turned, about to shout for joy, as she saw her sister's face. But, she stopped. She saw the red color of her hair, and she could only remember that one thing: Auska's cursed form. And then it all forced its way into her mind.

Auska reached up with the pile of soap, handing it to her sister. Slowly, Sakura smiled, not ecstatically, but of more subdued understanding. Slowly, she reached her hands out, closing her sister's hands back over the soap. "Forget it." She said quietly. "You keep it. You need it more anyway." The redhead stared for a moment, before smiling, nodding, and pulling the soap back. Its value had just gone up tenfold; this wasn't hers anymore. This was a gift from her family, and that made it worth all the much more.

"Ranma! Tea's done!" Akane shouted from elsewhere in the house.

Ranma sighed, nodding and smiling, and turning to his children again. "Well, that's all. So, Auska, I'll go start a bath for ya, and you two can do what you want 'til it's time for bed, okay?" They nodded, and Ranma stood up, walking out of the room.

- - -

Ranma slowly sat down next to his wife, picking up his cup of tea from the table, the steam floating into the air, and spreading around the table before dissipating completely. The aroma was invigorating, giving back the energy he had spent through the day, and granting him the strength to continue on.

Akane leaned over again, resting on his shoulder, half out of exhaustion, half out of a feeling of security. Ranma's hand snaked over her back, before coming to rest on her shoulder. Slowly, the strength the tea had granted them began to fade, and Ranma's head tilted over, resting on Akane's. There they sat, slowly encroaching towards sleep. They needed a spark to bring them back to life. And that could only be brought through one person; and that person was . . .

"HELLO, RANMA!" a familiar woman's voice shouted, and the couple immediately sprang to life. After they landed back on the ground, Ranma and Akane rushed to the panels where the shouts had come from, and swung them open. "Hello, Akane!" the woman continued after a moment, standing right behind the door.

"Shampoo!" Ranma shouted, grinning widely, along with Akane, as they stepped aside, letting her in. Ranma looked back out, before sliding back out of the way again, as two more people entered. "Mousse! It's nice to see ya both again!"

"Us as well, Ranma." Mousse said, a bit more controlled, but still smiling nonetheless.

"Well, sit down, already; have some tea!" Akane replied louder than she expected, as she dragged everyone over to the table.

- - -

"Did you hear something?" Sakura asked, rolling the sword over her hand, before catching it again.

Sauske paused a moment, before shaking his head. "Nope."

"Okay." Sakura replied, before handing a second wooden sword to her brother. "Then, it's time to spar!"

- - -

"Nice to meet you too, Aki." Akane repeated happily, and the teenage girl nodded.

Shampoo, glancing around, turned back to Ranma and Akane, sitting on the other side of the table. "Where everyone else?"

"Well," Akane continued, reviewing everyone's place in the house, "Joseph and Amy are asleep, Auska is reading in her room before she goes to sleep, and Sauske and Sakura are in the dojo training."

Aki suddenly perked up, recognizing those words, and translating them in her head. She glanced over at her mother, who looked to Ranma and Akane. They glanced at each other, then turned back and shrugged. Shampoo turned to her daughter. "If you want, go, Aki."

The girl nodded, stood up, and began walking out towards the dojo. Akane turned and shouted out to her as she turned the corner. "Go left at the front door, and when you get to the end of the hall, . . ."

" . . . go through big double-doors." Shampoo recalled to herself in her head, as Akane shouted the same thing. She smiled a bit; even after all these years, she still remembered everything about this place. And the biggest feeling she had was a feeling of belonging, now that they were residents of their teenage world.

- - -

CHCK! Sauske slipped back after the two swords collided, his arms holding firm. Sakura held there for a moment, before pushing against her brother through her sword with all the strength she could pull together. Sauske's feet slid further back, before he pulled away, letting his sister's sword whisk by.

The door slid open quietly, and the sibling's fight was too focused to see anything that was not directly affecting them, so they ignored the sound completely as a strange girl entered the room. She calmly entered, walking along the back wall, until she left the shadows of the doorway, and into the light. From there, she leaned upon the wall, watching as the battle unfolded for a moment.

Sakura twisted to her right side, parrying a thrust from her brother, the wood grinding as they crossed over each other. Sensing an opening, and her right leg movable, she lifted it free from the ground, pulling her knee to her chest. An instant later, she flicked her foot back out, colliding with Sauske's open side; the boy fell away, stumbling back a few steps to a stop. Then, he stood up, before nodding, and backing up several more steps. Sakura nodded too, letting her sword drop, and walking back to her starting spot.

_"What a slow boy."_ Aki said loudly in her native language.

The fight paused, the Saotomes were able to discern a new voice, and looked over to its origin. There stood a young Chinese girl, leaning against the wall. Sakura, while slightly surprised that someone she never saw before had just wandered into her home, put that off as someone her parents knew. "What did you say?" she asked politely.

The girl paused a moment, sighing to herself, as she figured out the Japanese. "I said, . . . 'What a **slow** . . . **boy**,' " she returned, staring back intently, pausing twice mid-sentence as she translated the next phrase in her head before saying it out loud. Her eyes were cool, confident, and unyielding.

"Well, maybe he is now, but Sauske's pretty quick most times." Sakura replied, shrugging her shoulders. "He's just helping me with my sword work; you should see him . . ."

"Phh!" the girl spat, turning her head in disgrace. "Brick-Boy is . . . just a slow fighter . . . and you know it. Don't . . . lie to me!"

Sakura glared back at the girl, gripping her sword tightly in one hand. "What?! Sauske's the best fighter in town! And he's even better than I am!"

"What?!" the Chinese girl asked, genuinely surprised. "He **is** . . . better than you?!" Sakura nodded, defending her brother's honor, even at the expense of her own. For now. "That is . . . surprising." Sakura nodded again, more firmly, glad she understood. "I never thought . . . you were so . . . bad, Stick-Girl."

Sakura clenched her teeth, suppressing the urge to scream, as she stared back at the girl. "Are you saying you're better than us?! Do you think you're invincible or something?!"

"Invincible?" the girl replied stranding up straight, and taking slow, deliberate steps forward. "No, but I . . . could beat you both . . . easily."

Sauske stepped up next to his sister, who was fuming. He was staring questioningly at the girl. "Who are you?"

"Me?" the girl replied, before smiling. "I am Aki . . . daughter of the Master of Hidden Weapons, Mousse . . . and the great warrior Shampoo, . . . two of the greatest fighters . . . of our village, . . . and I am also . . . far better than **you**!"

Sauske stopped, examining the girl. Her clothes were thin and light, with a rainbow colored shirt, the sleeves cut away. Her pants were a dark black, completely opposite of the burst of color she wore just above that. On both arms, there was a blue bandanna tied between her elbow and shoulder, and a black one tied on the top of her head and back of her neck, separating her hair into two sections. Her hair was shining in the light, flowing along her back in an even dark blue, with two small black streaks right behind her ears. Her body was muscular, showing her strength, without being oversized and weighing her down too much.

Her eyes were a light green, with deep black spots in the center. They seemed more like tall ovals then the perfect spheres of his sister, but the difference from this distance was unnoticeable. Her focus was potent, keeping Sauske from maintaining an even emotion, and her presence at this moment seemed to give off an aura of power and strength.

"You!" Aki shouted, pointing at Sauske. "I challenge you . . . fight me now!"

There was a pause, before Sakura nudged her brother, whispering to him. "What are you waiting for, Sauske? Didn't you hear her challenge?"

"Dad said we shouldn't be fighting her, remember?" Sauske replied.

"Well, yeah, but we didn't start it, now did we? Besides, she's challenging **us**, insulting **our** honor, and the dojo's honor. And it's like father always told us: 'Martial artists' are nothin' without their honor.' "

"Didn't he cheat at some card game to save the dojo once, though?"

"That's different; it was a card game. Besides, remember when he said we shouldn't fight that dojo destroyer who came to town. Well, I mopped the floor with him, and saved the dojo, too."

"Weren't you grounded for two days after that?"

"That," Sakura replied, starting to become annoyed again, "was because I forgot to do my homework and broke the front door. Not because I fought him; he said I did a good job."

"I guess." Sauske replied after a moment.

Aki, waiting patiently, raised her hands up around her face, in a simple fighting stance. "Are you . . . going to fight yet . . . Brick-Boy?"

"Sauske?" Sakura asked again. "Why are you still hesitating?"

"I'm just worried about . . ."

"Listen. I'm trying to tell you **nothing will happen**, okay. She's the one who challenged us, and insulted us. Father will understand. Okay?"

Sauske paused again, trying to remember if he forgot something. Well, it couldn't be that important, if he forgot it. "Well, okay, I'll fight." He said slowly, choosing to allow himself to follow the flow of the world.

"So, . . .are you ready to fight?" Aki asked, her muscles tense, waiting for that trigger.

Sauske took a deep breath, before slowly breathing out. "Yes, I accept your challenge."

There was a sudden burst, as the room exploded in a blue aura. Sakura and Sauske blinked in surprise, as the blue form filled every corner of the room in a split second. Sauske looked back, to see a form hurtling towards him. He tightened his body, knowing it far too well that there was no way his body could move fast enough now to escape. And in that instant of thought, Sauske felt the action occur.

Aki rammed her right fist into his stomach.

BB-DDMMM! BDMM! BDSSHHHHhhhhhh! The noises of Sauske bouncing along the floor, and sliding to a slow stop echoed through the dojo. His arms were flailed on the ground, as his body rested, face down, on the floor. There, he stopped. And stayed stopped.

- - -

Akane would never have believed it if she hadn't been there when it was happening. But it was true.

They were all laughing together.

Twenty-two years ago, they would never have even sat down at the same table together calmly, and yet here they were, laughing together like they were the best of friends. The truth can be so convincing.

All of a sudden, though, Ranma perked up, glancing around the room. Everyone stopped, watching him for a moment. "Ranma, what is it?" Akane asked calmly.

Ranma glanced around for a few more seconds, before settling back down, sighing. Then he looked up, smiling. "Aw, Akane, I must just be hearin' things. Don't worry about it." And with that, the mood returned to where it was before.

- - -

Sakura watched, as her brother lay motionless on the ground. She wanted to run to him, shout out, do something, but she felt paralyzed. So, she stared, as her brother lay on the ground.

Aki, the fight finished, let her battle-aura slowly drain back inside her, and the blue haze slowly drew into the center of the room. Eventually, it vanished completely, and the girl stood up, letting her arms hang at her side. _"He wasn't that good."_ She said slowly, turning and preparing to walk back to her previous spot on the wall.

Sakura kept watching her brother. He ought to have gotten up, or something. He had gone through much tougher fights, and not even broken a sweat. But, if Sauske was down already, . . . how powerful was this Chinese girl?

Sauske, still laying on the ground, twitched his hand a bit. "Sauske! You're all right!" Aki spun back, staring in shock, as the boy leaned up into a sitting position. Slowly, he stood up.

"Wow, that was a real hit. I have to admit, Aki-san, you have a strong right punch." Sauske said, rubbing his stomach, trying to dull the pain. After a moment, though, he looked up, a small smile on his face. "But if you still want to fight me, don't expect to get another hit like that again."

Next Chapter: The fight between Aki and Sakura is concluded, with some unexpected results.

* * *

_Saotome Akane:_

Age: 38

Occupation: Martial arts teacher at the Tendo School of Indiscriminate Grappling

Abilities:

Speed: 2

Strength: 3

Stamina: 3

Ki: 2

Aura: 2

Special Techniques: 0

Akane has grown considerably since twenty-two years ago, both physically and mentally. Her appearance has changed little, however; she still has her short, raven-black hair, and they same, slightly stocky build that she had back when Ranma first met her. She appears to have aged much less than Ranma, although many of the wrinkles on him are scars, which she doesn't have very many of.

As for her martial arts abilities, she had been training with her husband most of the time since their marriage, the only breaks being when one of them was in critical condition at a hospital, or recovering at home. She's lost most of her clumsiness, although not all of it, while also learning some of Ranma's favorite tricks, like fence-walking. However, she hasn't reached the skill required to learn any of the special techniques Ranma either knows or created, although she is closing the gap to them.

Mentally, she as learned a great deal of emotional control, allowing her to curb much of her anger for a while, in order to prevent jumping to conclusions and pelting someone away. That's not to say she's perfect, because she still often has rage-attacks, usually causing Ranma to be launched to some other part of town; she just has more control over them.

Just like Ranma, she loves her children more than anything, and would be willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to protect them. She hasn't had many opportunities to do so, however, because Ranma usually leaves her the responsibility of taking care of them if something should happen to him. However, childbirth was not always kind to her, considering Sakura had almost died when she was born, and Akane almost passed away when her son Sauske was born, due to an unknown infection she contracted.

Akane also has few people she trusts her children when she is away. She does trust her family, Ukyo, and Ranma, although that is not always true. The main reason is that she wants her children to grow up avoiding the pains and problems she went through, and the best way for her to so that is to be there with everyone else.

Overall, however, Akane has done what many of the original people in Ranma's life have done: matured. She found the one she loved, settled down, and had a family. And now that she's here, all of the problems from before, whether they were Ryoga and P-chan, Shampoo and Mousse, Kuno and Kodachi, are now simple memories to remind her of her youth, and the problems from all those years ago have lost their impact.


	6. Unexpected Results

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma ½_, nor claim to.

"Japanese"

_"Chinese"_

Chapter 6: Unexpected Results:

"You **hate** everything about me! Why do you **love** me?!" Three Days Grace: _I Hate Everything About You_

"Sauske! You're okay!" Sakura shouted, smiling widely as her brother stretched a bit.

"Sure am." Sauske replied, smiling back. He brought his hands together, stretching his arms over his head. "I'm perfectly fine, Saku . . ."

CRACK!

"What was that?!" Sakura shouted.

The boy shook his head back while rubbing his arm, smiling to act normal. "Nothing, nothing. I'm fine."

Aki, taken aback by her opponent's sudden burst of strength, forced her mouth closed, and stood back up straight. So, it wasn't over yet? Fine; she could keep going. She wasn't tired. Annoyed, yes, but not tired.

Sauske lightly rubbed his side. It hurt, a lot, but he couldn't show it. Something told him that the Chinese girl would capitalize on any weakness she could find. He would have to hide his pain, and do his best to fight through it. Then again, he also had to keep optimism in mind. Anger would work against him, and he couldn't let . . . well, it was best to not think about that. "Well, Aki-san, do you want to keep fighting?"

The girl furrowed her brow angrily, before her hands snapped up, as she glared at him. Sauske raised his hands as well, in a much nicer form than before. His eyes focused squarely at hers, and never wavered. _"So, he is ready now? Fine."_ Aki murmured to herself.

Sauske watched, waiting for her to move. He didn't have to wait long.

Aki rushed forward again, her blue aura flowing around her; yet, it was much smaller this time. When the distance had shrunk to two feet, she swung out with her right arm, straight for his stomach again. Sauske slid back a few inches, and her fist stopped just shy of contact. Bringing her feet together, and turning her body sideways from him, she kicked down at his shin with her left foot. Sauske hopped back again, leaning forward to just move his feet away to safety. Aki smiled. Just what she wanted him to do.

Sakura watched. Something was wrong. The Chinese girl's aura was much smaller than before, but she didn't seem any less focused. She was moving slower, but the blue color was flowing steadily around her. Could it all be out? But, . . . it was only a few feet wide this time, and she had filled the entire room before. Unless . . . that was a trick. "Of course! She found some way to make a large aura field to confuse her opponent!" she thought to herself. "And then she shows her real aura to make them think she's weaker! Which means . . . Sauske!"

The boy, in the time of the first two attacks, had noticed something odd. The girl seemed slower now, and was holding back. But why? She had seemed so determined before, using all of her aura to fill the room, but she suddenly went weak? It didn't add up. He had never seen someone start at full strength, then choose to get weaker when his or her opponent got back up. What was he missing?

"Sauske!" Sakura shouted in the moment of pause. "Get away from her! That's her full strength still!"

Aki smiled. _"Too late."_

With the left side of her body towards the boy, their faces perpendicular to each other, she flicked her fist up by her head, then swung out with a backhand strike towards Sauske's face. He leaned back, using all his strength, forced himself away from her hand, and it stopped a hair away from his nose. Then it swung away. Aki reversed the motion, from clockwise to counter-clockwise, her fist attacking, fingers first, at his gut. With a violent snap, Sauske bent his body the opposite direction, the hand again barely reached its stopping point before making contact with his body. Aki raised her right knee.

Sauske dove forward, pushing off with his feet. His body dropped down, rolling forward, as Aki brought her foot up and around. Noting his sudden movement, Aki only swung her roundhouse kick across her body that much faster. The boy felt her foot cruise along the cloth of his shirt, and could feel her pressure on his back, but none of its destructive force. He tumbled forward, rolling on the ground, before inertia brought him to a crouching position again, his back to the girl. Immediately, his head turned to watch for the next strike.

Aki's body continued to twist with the force of her kick, before it stopped enough for her head to turn all the way around to see her target behind her, rolling forward. Bringing her floating foot down, she lifted her left leg up, bringing her knee to her chest. Sauske stopped rolling, sitting there in a crouch, his head turning to see her. _"Now."_ She thought to herself.

Aki kicked out with all her might, her foot going behind her completely, running straight for Sauske's head. The boy barely had an instant to see it before needing to react; somehow, he pulled it off, tossing his whole body aside, tumbling around on the floor as her foot whizzed past his face. His body rolled across the ground, kicking up a little dust, before he stopped several feet from where he started, and rolled back onto his feet, this time facing her.

Aki, hanging in the air for a moment, waited for his counter attack. She couldn't move in that tiny instant in the air, and the speed at which that Sauske was moving, it might be possible for him to take advantage of her opening. But he didn't. Fortunate, because then she still had a chance. Her feet touched down, a few feet apart. Instantly, she brought them together, and spun her body around to face him. There, her hands swung back up, snapping tight again in the air. Sauske slowly stood up, raising his hands again.

Sakura watched them, the girl and boy locked in battle, studying both of them as best as she could. Sauske looked normal, still aura-less, still collected and calm, and still ready. Aki, however, looked angry. She stared at her opponent without a hint of collected, calm thought. Her aura was also shifting. Around her body, only centimeters from her body, was red, and it filtered out into the remainder of her aura, turning it a deep purple, as the blue faded.

Sauske was breathing hard. Someone watching might not notice, but he couldn't out and out lie to himself. He was tired. It took **every **ounce of his speed to avoid those attacks, along with gallons of luck poured into the mix. His body was getting exhausted, even with this short exertion. It was just too fast. He raised his hands up, hands out flat. There, he noticed something odd. A small flow of red lines trailed between his fingers, glowing faintly.

Instantly, he crushed his hands into a fist, stamping out the color. He took a deep breath, calming himself, as he prepared to continue. His mind trailed to happier thoughts, more determined thoughts, and slowly any rage in his mind, even the smallest amount, drained away. Once focused again, he turned back to his opponent. Sauske's mind twisted, conjuring a painless victory plan. He needed one, if he wanted any chance to win.

Aki watched the Japanese boy carefully. Something was wrong with him. He had plenty of chances to hit her, but he didn't. Why was he holding back? He wouldn't be . . . no, nobody would be that stupid to do that. But he was a bit overconfident. Time to change that with more. Before he started mocking her and the entire Amazon people.

"Sauske! Stop holding back for a change!" Sakura shouted.

"Yes, Brick-boy, fight me now . . . if you are not afraid." Aki murmured, smirking.

Sauske sighed. "Well, all right, if that's what you want."

Aki charged again, running to him. She swung her right hand at his face, and he leaned inside it, avoiding it completely. Once it stopped, the girl pulled that hand back, and swung out with her left hand, crossing in front of her face towards his. Again, Sauske leaned inside her hand, hiding behind her arm. Her faced scrunched, as the boy continued his dodging streak. She lifted her left foot from the ground.

Pushing off the ground with her right foot, she swung her knee up, racing for Sauske's face. The boy hopped back to his left foot, his arms hanging in the air for a moment, before they swung back to his sides. The Chinese girl did not hesitate, kicking her left foot out, again for his face. And again, Sauske twisted aside to safety, her foot passing harmlessly in front of his nose. Once safe, Sauske hopped back a few steps again.

He stopped again, as the girl lowered her foot to the ground. He was running out of strength. He had never pushed himself to move this fast before, and nobody had ever challenged his skills this much. Keira may be faster, but even she had never pushed herself to these limits. Sauske took another deep breath, preparing himself for what came next.

"Sauske?! What are you waiting for?!" Sakura shouted from the sidelines.

"An opening." He replied back calmly.

Aki was furious now. She could see how he was acing. Her aura had lost its purple, and the blue was long gone, leaving only the red. _"You stupid, calm brick! Now you are going to fall!"_ she thought angrily to herself, clenching her fists.

Aki rushed again, swinging her right foot out in a roundhouse kick. Sauske dropped down a little bit, before shooting his hands up. Wrapping his fingers around her ankle, he twisted violently, spinning her leg around. Aki's body followed afterward, then crashed onto the ground gently in a heap.

The girl shot her head up right afterward, staring up angrily. She drew her body back towards her torso, then planted her hands on the ground. Rolling back onto her palms, she lifted onto her hands completely, in a crouched handstand, her back towards Sauske. There, her arms pushed with all her might, as she pushed herself into the air, kicking out with her feet.

The girl, flying feet first towards him, surprised Sauske for a moment. Then, he slid aside, grabbing her ankles again, before twisting her, and releasing her back to the wind. She spun out of control, before collapsing onto the ground again.

Hopping up, she shook the dizziness from her head, and spun to face the boy. Rearing her right arm back, she swung out again with all her power. Sauske ducked, stepped sideways, and ended up at her back. Grabbing her wrist, he dragged Aki in front of him, snapping her arm tight and placing his hand on her back, the toes of his feet at the heels of hers. Aki paused, before dropping her head forward, and swinging it back to headbutt him while he held her. Sauske shoved his left hand forward, pushing her back away from him, and she stumbled forward, before taking several more steps, to gain some distance.

There, she turned around. Facing the boy again, she charged forward. Sauske paused, before dropping straight down. On the ground, he kicked forward, knocking Aki's feet out from underneath her. She stumbled forward, crashing onto the ground behind him with a loud THUD! There, she stayed, as Sauske stood up.

- - -

". . . and so that's how we got here." Mousse finished, and Akane and Ranma nodded again, smiling.

Suddenly, Ranma perked up again. Everyone else turned to him, watching his head twist back and forth. "Ranma, are you sure everything is . . ."

"Fine, it's fine, Akane." Ranma said, relaxing again, and smiling wider. "I'm probably just hearin' things again. Forget about it."

- - -

"Well, Sauske, you did it." Sakura said quietly, still standing to the side of the dojo. "You won."

Sauske nodded, and there was a groan from the ground. Not one of pain, but sadness. Slowly, the girl stirred, placing her hands on the ground, and forcing herself up. She twisted around, sitting on the ground; her downcast eyes were ashamed and disgusted. She sighed loudly, knowing what had to happen, and what she must do now.

The siblings watched, unmoving, as the girl slowly rose to her feet, her face turned to the ground, her arms hanging down limply like they were broken and useless. Slowly, her body swayed, and began a sluggish trudge to the boy. Each step was a long, labored plod, and her head never looked up. Inch by inch, meter by meter, she approached Sauske, for reasons unknown to him. Sakura watched, wondering what she had planned. There was no aura, no stance, not even a hint of a threat from the girl. She was just marching towards the boy.

Eventually, when she was less than half a meter away, Aki stopped. There, her hands slowly rose up, pulling towards her chest. There, they reached out towards Sauske. Gently, she placed her hands on his shoulder. Aki took a deep breath, before stepping in another pace, putting her a tiny distance away from the boy. Again, she took a deep breath. Her left hand slid down his chest, before sliding back around his left side, and halting its journey on his back. Her face turned up, looking into his eyes.

For a moment, she turned away. Sauske noted that she had on the most disgusted, spiteful look on her face, punctuated by an appearance of absolute shame in her eyes. Slowly, her face turned back to his, and paused. She took a deep breath in, before quietly. "Wo an ni."

Slowly, her face approached, and they locked lips in a long, unbroken kiss. Sauske's eyes exploded in size, but he didn't fall away, or fight. He was in a state of total, uncontrolled shock. Aki held her body still, counting in her head.

Sakura was watching still, unsure whether to scream, or just run away. Her face was pale. "What the hell is going on?!" She shouted in her head.

Sauske was bright red in the face when Aki finally broke away. After pulling her face away, both her hands trailed to his chest, stopping together at the center of his ribs. She pushed with all her might, shoving him backward onto the ground. The boy fell away, crashing down into a head, before his head looked back up again. The girl had turned, and was walking to the far end of the dojo. When she reached there, she slid the panel open, stepped outside, and slammed it shut behind her.

"S-S-S-Sauske?" Sakura asked, still paralyzed from that crazed Chinese girl kissing her brother. "What . . . just happened here?"

"I . . . I don't know, Sakura." The boy replied, staying seated on the floor.

"What do you mean, you don't know?! She just kissed you!"

"Well, don't ask me why. I didn't do anything."

"Well, explain to me why she would **want** to kiss you? Especially since she was trying to kill you a second before."

Sauske sighed. "I just told you I . . ." his voice trailed away, his blushing face draining of color.

Sakura noticed her brother's sudden change. "What? What is it? Did you remember something?"

Slowly, the boy stood up, and began walking towards the door. "I . . . I'm going to bed. Goodnight, Sakura." He pace grew faster and faster, until he disappeared outside.

"Wait a second! What did you . . . he's gone." Sakura sighed, shaking her head. What was going on?

- - -

Sauske walked slowly, passing by a hallway, until he reached the back stairs to the upper floor. It would be better than the main stairs; his parents would see him, and he wanted to figure out what happened before anyone else knew about it. Walking to his room, he slid the door open, stepped inside, shut it behind him, and sat down on the bed.

What was going on? Sauske sighed to himself. "Okay, what do I know?" he thought to himself. "Well, that girl, Aki, kis . . . was a Chinese Amazon. Dad would know a lot about them. What was it he always told us?"

"Right, I remember. 'Never fight an Amazon.' Now, why was that? It was . . . uh, it was . . . argh! What was it?! Something about being an outsider? Yeah, that sounds right. What else? They had to . . . to, um . . . beat the Amazon woman in a fight! That was it!"

"Okay, so I did that. What else? . . . uh, I know there was something. What was it? Okay, if I beat an Amazon in a fight, then I would have to . . . have to . . . ergh! What was it?!"

Sauske leaned back, resting on the wall. Suddenly it snapped into his mind. "Of course! How could I forget?! I have to . . . oh god . . ."

He paused, paling again, his face draining of all color. He held that for a moment, before a deep, red blush rose through his cheeks. "I have to . . . marry her?!"

- - -

Sakura stared at the door where her brother left, before sighing. She turned around, looking at the door where the girl left. She shook her head.

"Whatever. I got to finish my training for tonight."

Walking to the side, she grabbed her training sword from the ground, and marched back to the center of the room. She lifted her sword, then began a long series of practice movements. It was tough to concentrate, though.

- - -

Aki slowly leaned against the wall, staring out into the night sky. The stars twinkled brightly, as a cloud passed in front of the moon. The air was crisp and cool, and a small breeze drifted past her. She scraped her foot along the ground, kicking the grass around slowly.

_"It doesn't make sense! How did I lose?" _she thought to herself. _"Well, he was very fast . . ."_

The girl shook out her head, walking away from the wall. She walked with her new, slow, deliberate pace. Her path was aimless, and she walked along into the back of the yard, trying to understand what she did wrong. How could she lose?

_"He was strong. I lost my focus. I can't let that happen anymore."_

She should have known better than to do that. Aki was always letting her anger get control in a fight, and then she was too out of focus to see everything her opponent was going to do. Maybe she could hit harder when she was angry, but she moved much slower, and that meant that Brick-boy could evade her attacks.

There was something odd about that boy, though. He was strong enough to beat her without even trying, but he waited forever to do that. _"Why would he wait to defeat me, if he could from the beginning?"_

She had her rules for a fight. If you could win, you would finish your opponent quickly. Delays would give them a chance to win despite being severely outmatched. But he didn't follow that rule. And the reason why?

She could think of several, but only one really fit. She wasn't in training, so that was out. They both knew this fight was very serious. The only one left she thought would be good, was one she didn't want to believe. Then again, only an outsider would be stupid enough to do that.

She clenched her hand, trying to hold in her emotions. There was an old board lying on the ground. Rolling it onto a rock, she stared down at it, thinking over what that Brick-boy had done. Quietly, she whispered to herself. _"I can't believe he would be so stupid!"_

- - -

Sakura swung the sword across. There, she looked just beyond its tip, before raising it up over her head. She stepped forward, swinging the sword down, and . . .

CRACK!

Sakura paused, staring ahead of her. The sword hadn't hit anything, just air. She paused a moment, before swinging the sword back and forth, to see if it cracked. It was whole still.

"Well, that was odd." Sakura thought to herself. "I wonder what that sound was."

- - -

"What was that?" Akane asked, as Ranma walked to the door panel. He slid it open, peering outside. He looked outside, before turning to look around the other way. "Well?"

"Beats me." Ranma replied, shrugging his shoulders and returning to his seat. "We can figure it out later."

- - -

Aki stared down at the broken piece of wood. She kicked it aside with her foot. _"That stupid idiot!"_ Slowly, she began walking back to where she had exited the dojo. There was only one thing left to do. She approached the door, placing her hand on the edge. Her arm swung aside, flinging the door open, as she stepped up and inside.

_"He is going to pay for what he did! It was bad enough for him to beat me, but what he really did . . . that was too far!"_

Next chapter: Aki returns, with a vengeance, ready to fight through anyone who gets in her way, including Sakura.

* * *

Well, that's chapter six. First of all, I kinda overdid the bio on Akane, so if things seemed really bad for her, it was my fault. I was writing a prologue for this story, before I realized it would take about ten to twenty chapters to fit everything in, and that is where most of the stuff came from. So, if people thought that was a bit too serious, I'm sorry.

Another thing is reviews. Yes, I would like more, so if you could please review this story (especially the fights), even if you have before, that would be really nice. Also, I realize that I haven't answered much to the people who have already reviewed me, so I'm going to do that now:

MusicIsMyLifeBlood: Well, thanks for the good review, and I hope you've started to understand what happened to Ryoga, Mousse, Shampoo, Akari, Konatsu, and Ukyo.

meep meep: I'm glad you think its coming out good. I'm trying. I hope you can start to see the confusing relationships beginning to appear. They're about to get even more complicated!

The Liz: Yeah, I haven't seen many fics with Ryoga and Akari either, which is kind of sad. As for how Akane found out about P-chan, that's coming up in a couple of chapters.

zak: The Kunos? Well, um, I haven't thought about bringing them back, but maybe I could bring them in.

Also, you said that some of the characters were based off _Naruto_, which is partially true. Only Naruto (Ryoga's younger son) is similar to the real Naruto. He's got an orange shirt, he's loud and obnoxious, and he wants to be better than someone named Sauske. Sauske and Sakura (Ranma's son and daughter) are representatives in name only. However,** this is NOT a crossover with _Naruto_, or any other show or magna**, I just used the names other shows because I couldn't think of any.

* * *

_Kuonji Ukyo_:

Age: 38

Occupation: Chef at Okonomiyaki restaurant "Ucchan's"

Strength: 2

Speed: 3

Stamina: 2

Ki: 1

Aura: 2

Special Techniques: 2

Ukyo is one of the few members of Ranma's original friends who have changed very little. Her appearance is still almost the same, except she dresses like a man much less often than she used to. She does sometimes wear more masculine clothes, but it's been years since she tried impersonating one. Also, her hair has grown slightly longer, but other than a few of the signs of aging just beginning to appear, she looks like her youthful self.

As for her martial arts abilities, Ukyo has improved almost none, and may have even declined a very small amount. She still trains, but it is far less serious than before because now, there is little left for her to fight for. She assists Ranma when he goes against some powerful monster or demon, or something like that, but since she was never well known for her fighting ability, there are very few challengers out for her, unlike Ryoga and Ranma. There have been multiple Martial Arts Cook-off challenges, witch she has always won, thanks to her special batter and pepper-bomb techniques.

After Ranma and Akane were finally married, Ukyo accepted it rather quickly. She had already seen that they were in love, and was prepared for Ranma to refuse their engagement. Even so, she was still somewhat brokenhearted, and it took a year before she finally opened up to Konatsu. Nobody but them knows exactly how it happened, but they were quickly engaged, and at about six years after Ranma first arrived in Nerima, they were married.

Within two months, Ukyo was pregnant with her first child, Keira. Keira was her number one joy in life until she became pregnant again, three years later. Both Keira and Haku, her son, are still at the top of the list of things she loves in her life, with Konatsu second, and Ucchan's third.

Since it was first opened, Ucchan's is one of the most successful restaurants in all of Tokyo, and has continued to flourish for all twenty-two years of its existence. The staff still only consists of Ukyo and Konatsu, with help often from Haku and Keira in the last few recent years. And while their okonomiyaki is no where near as great as Ukyo's, both Keira and Haku can cook very well. The family also still lives in the (now much larger) apartment above the restaurant.

Overall, Ukyo has settled down into her life, and enjoys it. There are problems still between herself and Shampoo, and Ryoga since she learned **he** was P-chan, and a lot of problems still between her and Genma. Fortunately, she's gotten over Ryoga's lie, is hoping to start over with Shampoo, and lives very far away from Genma. That leaves her with very few things she's ever upset about from her past, and she's never been happier than ever before.


	7. Aki's Return

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma ½_, nor claim to.

"Who's got my back now, when all we have left is deceptive, so disconnected? So what is the truth now?" Creed: _Who's Got My Back?_

Chapter 7: Aki's Return:

Sakura turned back to the door, seeing a blue haired Amazon standing there. It was Aki, and she was obviously angry about something. Her eyes were turned down to the floor, before they slowly rose up. Sakura took a step back as she saw the rage in the girl's eyes.

"Where . . . is Brick-boy?" the girl asked quietly.

Sakura strained to hear, but couldn't make out the words. "What was that?"

"Where is Brick-boy?!" Aki shouted angrily.

Something was wrong. "Why do you want to see Sauske?" Sakura replied, gaining a bit of courage, and taking a step forward. "Are you mad that you lost to him?" she continued with a sly smirk.

The girl growled a bit, her entire body clenched. "Where is he?!"

Sakura leaned back again. "What . . . what's so important that you need to find him anyway?" It was rare for someone to scare her with their eyes, but it was happening right now.

"He mocked me . . . and all of the Amazons. Brick-boy . . . must pay for that!"

"What are you talking about?" Sakura said slowly, unsure what to make of all this. "After all, **you** kissed him. If you're so mad, why did you kiss him then?"

"You know nothing . . . of Amazon law, do you Stick-girl?! I will **not **let him insult . . . my fighting style, or my heritage!" Aki shouted back, starting to walk towards the other girl.

"I may not know Amazon law, but I know insults!" Sakura shouted back. She began to walk towards the other girl. "You haven't **once** even pronounced my name, or Sauske's. My name is Saotome Sakura, and if you think you can just threaten my brother, and expect me to step aside, you're sorely mistaken!"

"When you deserve my respect, . . . you'll get it! . . . Until then, . . . I don't care!"

"That's a stupid value set! You expect respect, but you won't give it?!"

Aki growled more. "I may not respect you . . . but I respect . . . Anything-Goes Martial Arts fighting style! . . . Brick-boy respected me . . . but he had **no** respect for the Amazon fighting style! . . . If you want to insult me . . . fine!" The girl lowered her head more, and her voice grew darker and angrier. "But never . . . insult the Amazons!" Her face rose up, her eyes burning more. "NEVER!"

Sakura almost slipped back again, but she held her ground. "Fine." Aki paused, watching her. "Maybe he did insult your culture, somehow. I don't know how, but maybe he did. But I can swear to you one thing."

Aki watched the other girl, standing with her wooden sword, her body seemingly calm and serene, despite her shouts.

"He never meant it!" Sakura shouted, gripping her sword tightly in her right hand. "Sauske would never insult someone he just met! And never someone's fighting style! So don't you go around shouting about him being something like that! And if you think I'm just going to step out of your way," Sakura swung her sword up, readying for a fight, "you're completely wrong!"

Aki paused, clenching her fists. "I do not need to fight you . . . but if you won't move . . . expect no mercy!"

"I'm not. And you're going to get the same, understand?!" Sakura shouted, peering around her sword.

Aki slowly raised her fists around her head. "I am not . . . afraid of you!"

Sakura forced her aura out, surrounding herself with a pale mix of blue and red, blending to form a dull violet hue. Her hands tightened, as her eyes focused on the other girl.

Aki clenched her teeth, and an explosion of red filled the room. The color outdid Sakura's aura, tinting the entire dojo. Sakura watched intently; she would not get caught off guard. Some fake aura burst thingy wasn't going to confuse her.

"REAGHHH!" Aki shouted, punching forward. Sakura flinched, despite any attempt to remain focused. Aki was there, then suddenly she was here. Sakura lost any preparation she had made. She twisted the sword around, but it was too late. She felt Aki's hand smash into her stomach, and the power behind it tossed her into the air. She flowed backwards, straight for the wall.

CRUNCH! Sakura landed in the wall with her back. Her arms swung back, banging on the wall, before she slid down to the ground in a heap. The pair of auras faded away. Aki lowered her hands down, shaking her head. "I told you."

- - -

"Ranma, what is it already?!" Akane shouted, tuning to her husband, as he glanced around.

"I don't know, Akane." He said, before standing up. "I'm just going to go check on some things. I'll be back in a minute."

- - -

Aki sighed, turning to the door. "You told me?" Aki spun back, staring at the collapsed form of the girl. She hadn't moved. "Told me what? Huh?"

Slowly, Sakura looked up, staring at her opponent again. She placed the tip of her sword on the ground, before using it to raise herself back to her feet. "You thought you won, didn't you? Well, I'm not finished yet. And if you think you're any closer to finding my brother, you're still wrong. You're **one step further** away."

Aki clenched her hands tight again. "You can barely stand! . . . So try this!" Aki let her normal aura loose, before running forward again, charging at Sakura.

The Japanese girl twisted the sword around, horizontal to the ground, and the blade behind her. Her legs slid apart, balancing herself carefully. Her aura flowed out naturally this time, much wider, without a single trace oif red. Her eyes grew cold, unemotional. It was time for the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken.

Aki was running at almost full speed, but the other girl's eyes were keeping up this time. She leaned back, pulling her hand back, before focusing on her exact target. She punched forward. "REAGHH!"

Sakura slid smoothly aside. "Wrong." She replied stoically. Her mind was completely focused this time, because nothing on the outside beyond Aki even registered in her mind. "Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken." (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) Her left hand pulled back, while her right hand swung forward. The sword followed.

The sword swung across her body, hitting Aki in the bottom ribs. She lost all contact with the ground, and floated away to the other side of the room. THUMP! She bounced on the ground, before sliding along the floor.

Twisting around while sliding, Aki flipped onto her hands and knees, crouched like a small tiger. Her eyes regained their flaming red, and her aura became a deeper crimson.

Sakura became more focused, ignoring even the pain in herself easily. Her mind had only one purpose: defeat Aki. No other thought entered her mind. She swung her body around, turning perpendicular to the Chinese girl, while swinging her sword back to her right side, in front of herself, and turned her eyes to meet Aki's.

There was a pause, as both girls stared at each other, mentally preparing to strike. This next hit might just decide their fate, so neither one was going to rush in too fast. But neither one could wait forever.

At the same spot in time, both Sakura and Aki charged forward, running straight for the other. The door slammed open, but neither one took notice. Sakura swung her sword across, while Aki punched straight for her opponent's face. Both struck their target, and both felt their opponent's hand grab them on the shoulder.

Well, not really. Ranma gritted his teeth through the pain in his back and cheek, while holding the two girls apart. The swirling auras faded slowly, as the two combatants realized that the fight was over.

"Sakura, stay right there." Ranma muttered to her as he turned to Aki. Sakura nodded, lowering her sword down to the floor.

Ranma looked at the Chinese girl. "As for you, your mother and father are getting ready to leave. You better get goin'." He let go of Aki's shoulder, but she didn't move. "That means **now**."

The younger girl dashed out the door. Ranma slowly followed, before closing the door behind her. "Sakura." His daughter perked up, looking over at him. "Sakura, what . . . the hell . . . is WRONG WITH YOU?! Did ya not hear what I said an hour ago?! Huh?!"

Sakura sighed, leaning her sword behind herself to try and hide it. "Well, um, . . . the thing is . . ."

"Sakura, I don't want that! Didja' or didja' not hear what I said?"

"Well, yeah, I did, . . . I think."

Ranma was now facing her completely, walking back to the dojo, staring at his daughter. "What do you mean, 'you think'?"

Sakura shrugged. "What was it you said again?"

"What did I . . . I said 'No fighting with their daughter'. Did you hear that?"

She nodded quickly. "Oh, yeah, that. I remember hearing that."

Ranma shook his head, before glancing around the room. "So why is it, when I come in here, I find you two beating each other up, and smashin' the walls? Huh?"

"Oh, right, the wall. Well, actually, she hit me into the wall, so it's not really my fault, and . . . uh . . . well . . ." Sakura mumbled, knowing everything was just getting her deeper and deeper into trouble. She had no idea how she could talk her way out of this, if it as even possible.

"Sakura, it was one thing ya had to do. One. No fightin'." Ranma said quietly, before his voice rose up again. "How hard is that to do?!"

"Listen, I didn't start this. She did. She came in here, insulting us, and the dojo, and then she comes back and starts threatening Sauske. If you think I should just step aside and let her go after Sauske, then I definitely won't listen."

"But you coulda' been **killed**, Sakura!"

She smirked. "I don't think so. I was just about to win when you came in. I would have hit her with my sword before she punched me, and I know she would have . . ."

"That's not what I meant!" Ranma shouted. He took a deep breath. "What I meant was, once you did win, she would have given you the 'Kiss of Death'. Then, she woulda' come back and killed ya. I really don't want to deal with any more of those, okay!"

"What?" Sakura said, before she turned pale. "Did . . . you say . . . 'Kiss of Death'?"

Ranma nodded. "That's right, Sakura . . . something wrong? . . . Wait a sec'. Where's Sauske?"

- - -

Sauske rolled over in bed, but he couldn't get comfortable. He knew he was forgetting something, but he couldn't figure out what it was. He knew he was now "engaged" to that Chinese girl, so he really didn't want to go back down. Something inside him, though, said he needed to go back down for Sakura's sake. But why?

"Oh, wait, I remember. Because, if Sakura wins, then the Chinese girl will have to . . . oh no!"

The boy jumped up out of bed, pulling on a nearby shirt and pants, before ripping the door open, and bolting out into the hall. He sped through the hallway, before turning on a dime, and hopping all the way down the flight of stairs, and running for the dojo. The door was just up ahead, and he ran faster. He reached out, grabbing it, and flinging the screens aside.

"SAKURA! Don't fight her! She's going to kill . . . you?"

"Oh, you're awake. Sit down." Ranma commanded, pointing to the spot next to Sakura. He did what he was told, and Ranma walked back to close the screens.

"Daddy?" Auska asked from the hallway sleepily, rubbing her eyes. "What's going on?"

Ranma turned back to the two sitting children. "Stay there." He walked out into the hall, before taking his youngest daughter by the hand. "It's nothing too bad, Auska. C'mon, you need to be getting some sleep."

Auska nodded sluggishly, walking along to the stairs. "What . . ." she yawned loudly, "was the loud noises?"

"Oh, There was a fight or two in the dojo, and Sauske went running through the halls. Nothing more than that." They walked up the stairs to the second floor.

"I thought you said no fighting tonight, daddy?"

Ranma smiled, opening his daughter's door for her. "Well, at least someone was listenin'."

Auska yawned again. "Are they in trouble?"

Ranma paused, as he helped her back under the covers, and pulling the blankets up. "I don't know yet."

Auska nodded drowsily on the pillow, mumbling something as she fell back asleep. Ranma sighed, smiling more, before fixing her blankets, and walking back out the door. He slowly closed the door. "Uncle Ranma?" another girl asked behind him. He spun around, seeing Amy leaning around the edge of the wall. "Is something wrong?"

Ranma smiled again. "No, not really." He started walking down the hall to her. "C'mon, let's get you back to bed too." Amy nodded, smiling, and walked along slowly with Ranma.

- - -

"What do you think is going to happen to us, Sauske?" Sakura asked, turning to us.

Sauske sighed. "Let's see. Probably, we're going to be grounded again."

"Well, yeah, but the 'You coulda' been killed!' part isn't really going to be good, now is it?"

"Good point."

Ranma slid the door open, slightly less angry than when he first talked to Sakura. Slightly. The smile was gone. "Here's what you two are goin' to do. You're both grounded for the next two days, minimum. And if I catch you doin' anything else as stupid as this for the next week or two, it's goin' to get worse."

The two children nodded.

"You know the rules. After school, you come straight home, no interruptions. Then, it's homework first, chores second, training third, free time last. And once you're home, you stay home. Got it?"

They nodded again.

"All right. Go to bed, and we'll finish talkin' about this tomorrow."

With that, the three of them left the dojo slowly.

- - -

Keira brushed her hair several more times, looking into the small mirror hanging over her desk. Slowly, she reached back, retying her brown hair into a long braid. Quietly, she heard a knock at the door. "Come in." she said loudly.

She watched in the mirror as the door opened behind her back, and her brother Haku leaned in. "Um, hi, sis."

"What is it, Haku? Shouldn't you be in bed by now?" Keira said rudely, still angry with him impersonating her at dinner.

"I, um, just wanted to say sorry for pretending to be you, . . . you know, at dinner."

Keira paused, thinking it over, before going back to braiding her hair. "Okay."

"O . . . okay? You mean, you forgive me?"

"Sure, why not." She continued braiding her hair, before taking a piece of white ribbon from her desk.

"Okay, Keira. Thanks."

"One thing, Haku."

"Huh? What is it?" he asked, ducking back into the room.

"About what you said." She tied the ribbon into a small bow, locking the end of the braid tight. Haku twitched a bit, remembering what he had said ("Oh, Sauske, it would be so amazing to see you do that. You're just so cool and **cute**!"), as Keira turned back around. "Why did you say all that?"

"Oh, well, um, I heard you say it once, so I figured it wouldn't be so bad if I said that. And then we could all have a good laugh about it."

Keira paused, before smiling a bit, and turning back to her desk, putting things away. "Yeah, that would've been nice. What did he do when you told him that?"

Haku sighed. He was safe. "Oh, you should have seen him. I never saw him so shocked before. Not like an angry shock, but like a 'Whoa, really?" kind of shock."

She giggled a little. "I wish I had seen him when that happened."

"Haven't you told him that before?"

"Well, if you must know, . . . no, I haven't. Now that I think about it, though, I don't remember telling you that either."

Haku began to sweat a little. "Well, I must've heard you while you were talking to someone else."

"No, I can't remember anyone else I told it to. What was the last time I said that?" She furrowed her brow, tying to remember. "Heck, the last time I ever said that was when . . ."

"What?" Haku asked timidly.

"When I was re-reading my diary to myself . . . hey, Haku!" She spun around in her chair, ready to face her brother, her face red with rage.

Her brother was gone.

She jumped up, running out into the hall. She heard a shuffle as she stepped outside her room. "So, changed into the furniture, Haku? Don't think I won't find you!"

She started walking down the hall, passing by a small table on the left side, and a bookcase on the right. SMACK! She punched the bookcase. Nothing. "Not you, eh?"

SMACK! Keira kicked the table against the wall. Nothing. She sighed before turning and walking further down the hall. She walked past a lamp on her left, and walked towards a large mirror. Behind her, the lamp was sweating a bit, but didn't move.

"You're this mirror, aren't you?" She said slowly, standing with her back to the lamp. She reached her hand back, and . . .

Spun around, grabbing the lamp with both hands. "Gotcha!" She stared right at the white lampshade, before it morphed into her brother's head.

"Oh, heh heh, hi Keira. Something wrong?" he said cautiously.

"You were spying on me, weren't you?"

"Keira." Her mother said behind her. "It's time for bed. For both of you. No more fighting."

"But he was spying on me!" Keira protested.

Ukyo shook her head. "If you don't want him to, don't forget to close your door next time."

Keira gasped back, before turning a pale red on her cheeks. She had left her door open? That didn't make anything better. She dropped Haku, walking to her room. "Good night!" she huffed, before closing the door behind her.

Ukyo turned to her son. "So, what was she talking about?"

"Oh, nothing too important." Haku replied, shrugging his shoulders.

- - -

Akane slid down into the bed, before Ranma rolled over, reaching his arm around her back. "Well, you're still awake."

"Can't sleep without ya."

Akane smiled, snuggling in. "Well, I guess today is finally over."

Ranma sighed. "Yep. Finally."

"So, what happened with Sakura, Sauske, and . . . what was her name again? Aki?"

"Yeah, that's it." Ranma said, yawning. "Do you really want to know now?"

"Why not."

"Okay . . . well, Sakura almost got herself killed by defeatin' Aki, and earning the kiss of death. Oh, and Aki and Sauske are engaged."

"Engaged?"

"He beat her in a fight, so now they have to get married."

"Reminds you of Shampoo, doesn't it?"  
Ranma sighed again. "A little. But I still got the best one here."

Akane smiled. "What did you do to them?"

"Both grounded for two days, and if they do anythin' stupid, they'll get more."

"That's good for now." Akane said, yawning again.

"Okay."

"Doesn't Sakura have Kendo Club tryouts tomorrow?"

"She's goin' to make them up after she's free again."

"She agreed to that?"

"No, but that's what I'll tell her."

"Oh, okay." There was a short pause, before Akane spoke up again. "Do you think we're under-reacting to all this?"

Ranma snuggled closer, closing his eyes. "We can be angry in the morning."

Akane sighed, smiling. "I like that idea."

Next Chapter: A new day dawns, and Sauske and Sakura have to go back to school again!

* * *

Well, the chapter is over, so on with the reviews:

Judah: No, this isn't a crossover with _Naruto_. I had some notes last time talking about this, and I'm sorry if it was confusing. Here's the deal: There are characters in this story using the names of other anime/magna characters, and the character Naruto looks similar to how he does in _Naruto._ But that's all. In short: **this is not a crossover fanfic.**

* * *

_Kunoichi Konatsu:_

Age: 38

Occupation: Assistant Chef at "Ucchan's"

Strength: 2

Stamina: 3

Speed: 4

Ki: 2

Aura: 1

Special Techniques: 1

Konatsu, like Ukyo, has changed very little over the years. Appearance-wise, he has retained a similar look to himself, and appears to have aged only a few years. However, he does still continue to cross-dress, at least during his working hours.

His only real technique and martial arts ability is that of creating multiple bodies, along with the know-how to use traditional ninja weapons. With the exception of an occasional duel with Ranma, and some powerful martial artist where everyone must ban together to defeat him or her, the only consistent training or workout he has is training with his children, although most of that is with Keira.

The reason is simple. Haku does not have much interest in open fighting. Instead, he prefers his ability to imitate other objects and people quickly. And spying. And while Konatsu has taught Haku some of those abilities, most of it was self-taught.

Keira, however, has taken the more traditional approach to ninjutsu, and it's there that Konatsu has most of his current training. From the use of shurinkans to sword technique, from speed to technique practice, Konatsu has taught Keira everything he knows, and she has grown to the point where she has surpassed his abilities.

At Ucchan's, Konatsu still does most of the cleaning, and works diligently without any complaints. He has learned to make okonomiyaki, but rarely does, and most of them don't taste up to par with those of his wife.

Overall, Konatsu has remained the same as when he first arrived at Nerima. The few changes in his life were his marriage to Ukyo, and the birth of his children. He still is dedicated to his work, and, like Ukyo, has kept the same job since he first arrived in Tokyo. He may not have improved his martial arts abilities personally, but he has passed the skills he knows onto his children, teaching them their amazing fighting abilities.


	8. A New Day

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma 1/2_, nor claim to.

Chapter 8: A New Day:

"The tension is here, between who you are and who you could be, between how it is and how it should be." Switchfoot: _Dare You to Move_

"But I have Kendo Club tryouts today!" Sakura shouted.

"Oh well." Ranma replied.

"Oh well?!" Sakura stood up at the table, slamming her rice bowl on the table. "This is the only day, and there are tons of people trying to get on the team! Just let me stay later today, and I'll take three days afterward!"

"No."

"NO?! Doesn't getting up an hour early and making breakfast for everyone get me anything?!"

"It makes up for the yelling."

"What yelling?!"

"Open your ears, and you'll hear it, Sakura." Akane replied, walking into the living room.

"Don't tell me you agree with him, mother!"

Akane sighed, sitting down next to her husband, and taking her bowl of rice. "All right, I won't say anything."

"Everyone is expecting for me to be there! I can't just not show up!"

Ranma shrugged. "Oh well."

"Oh well! . . ." Sakura sighed, before shaking her head, and sitting back down. "You know I'm just going to stay anyway and go to tryouts instead of coming home."

"Yeah, I'd been thinking about that." Ranma replied, turning to his wife. "Hey, Akchan."

"Yes, Ranchan?" Akane said, turning towards him.

"How stupid do ya think it'd be for Sakura not t'come home **right **after school?"

"Pretty stupid. How long do you think?"

"Four weeks, probably."

"Oooo, that would probably mean that even if she got on the team, she couldn't go to practice."

"Nope."

Sakura slammed her bowl down again. "Aw, forget it! First you take my soap, then my Kendo, why don't you stop dawdling and take my sanity!"

"We need something for tomorrow."

- - -

Auska sighed happily as she slid further down into the water. It was warm, but not too hot. She grabbed her bar of soap, and began merrily scrubbing her arms.

After a few minutes of cleaning, she was ready to get out and get ready for school. She reached over taking the edge of the bathtub, and began to pull herself out, when she slipped. Sliding back down, she knocked over the assortment of bottles on the edge.

She snatched up most of the bottles, collecting together a random assortment of hair care products, and stacking them back where they were. One of them slipped away, unfortunately, and plopped down into the water. Auska turned around, splashing water everywhere, before grabbing the purple bottle, and putting it back where it belonged. She spun around again, and reached to get out of the tub.

"Huh? That's odd." She sloshed the water around with her hands. "Where did all these purple bubbles in the tub come from?" All the water had been ringed by a large number of purple soap bubbles.

Reaching back, she grabbed the bottle that had fallen in the water. It was a purple bottle of shampoo; it was the kind her sister Sakura used. Opening it up, Auska smelled the inside. "Mmm, cherry blossoms! That's so cool! . . . I guess I spilled some, and all these bubbles appeared!"

The entire bathtub was full of bubbles, before they slowly began to pop, and disappear. "Wow, that's powerful shampoo!"

"Auska? Are you still in there?" Joseph asked from outside.

"Be out in a second!"

- - -

"Good morning, Sakura!" Sauske said, smiling, as he took his eat at the table, his whit neatly tucked and buttoned for school, and his hair in it's usual absolute mess.

"Shut up." His sister replied quietly, shoveling more food into her mouth.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

Auska bounded down the stairs. "YAY! Breakfast's ready!"

Sakura passed her sister her food, smiling slightly, before sliding back into her seat. There, she began brooding again. "Stupid parents!" she thought to herself. "I get up early to make breakfast and they won't even let me stay at school for Kendo tryouts just because some stupid girl with stupid traditions has to marry my brother! It's so stupid!"

"Come on, Auska, Amy, Joseph." Akane said loudly, standing by the front door. "It's time for school."

The three called children walked out, taking up their bags, and walking out the door. "Be back in a few minutes, Ranma."

"Okay, see ya!" he shouted back from the living room.

- - -

"Bye, Dad!" Sauske shouted as he followed his sister out the door. He heard his father shout a reply, but he was already sprinting to keep up with his sister. "Hey, Sakura! What's the rush?!"

Sakura said nothing as her brother hopped up onto the fence behind her, and sprinted up next to her.

"Sakura! What's wrong?! Why are we running so fast?!"

"What's wrong?!" Sakura shouted, glaring at her brother. "How about the fact that **I **have to miss Kendo Club now because **your** fiancée is trying to kill **you**?!"

"Trying to kill me?" Sauske asked, unsure of what her sister meant. "Since when?"

"After you left, she comes back, shouting about revenge, or something, and if I hadn't stopped her from going off after you, . . . who knows what she was going to do!"

"Why would she want revenge?"

"Don't ask me, I'm not part of your crazed lover's quarrel or anything! . . . Wait, she was saying something about being disrespectful . . . I don't know, she was blabbering on a lot, saying how much she hated you, generally."

"Oh." Sauske replied, still unsure what had happened last night.

The two siblings ran in silence for a while, before Sauske spoke up again. "I'm sorry for getting you grounded, and keeping you from going to Kendo Club tryouts, Sakura."

She sighed, and her pace slowed. "Forget about it, Sauske. It wasn't your fault." There was another long pause. "I'll figure something out."

The boy nodded as they ran into the school grounds and slowed to a stop.

- - -

"It's kinda weird, ain't it, Akchan?" Ranma said offhandedly as they kept washing the dishes.

"What, Ranma?" She answered slowly, stacking another cleaned bowl onto the counter.

"Oh, y'know, Shampoo and Mousse comin' back to Nerima, Sauske gettin' engaged to Aki, . . . reminds ya of back when we were their age, don't it?"

Akane paused, before giggling a bit, taking up another bowl.

Ranma paused, before turning to her. "What is it? . . . What's so funny?" Akane said nothing, but continued her giggling. "C'mon, tell me what it is? Please?"

"Well, you just reminded me of something." Akane replied, scrubbing out the inside of the bowl. "That's all."

"What was it, Akane?"

"You probably wouldn't be interested."

Ranma sighed, shaking his head. "You're just goin' to keep torturing me with this all day, aren't you?"

"You really want to know?"

Ranma nodded enthusiastically.

"Well, okay." Akane slowly let her hands down, putting the bowl back into the water. "SURPRISE!" She swung the bowl up, spaying cold water all over her husband. He stepped back instinctively, but was still soaked all the front side of his body.

Ranma swung back forward, shaking the water out of her newly red hair. The curse of Jusenkyo was free again, and Ranma had reverted to her female form for the first time in five years. She shot an ice-cold glare at Akane. "What was that for?!"

Akane burst out laughing. "You asked what I had remembered. I had almost forgotten what my 'wife' looked like."

Ranma paused, before sighing, with a small smile behind it. "I guess this is what I get for falling in love with a crazed tomboy, huh?"

Akane smiled more. "Try falling in love with a perverted transvestite. It's much harder."

- - -

"I didn't forget, Ganko! Jeeze, calm down already!" Hojo shouted, leading his friends out to their usual eating spot, underneath one of the big trees out in the school grounds. He sat down in a spot of sun, as Sauske sat across from him, his back to the tree, and Mayu on his left, Ganko, his right.

"I'm just reminding you, Hojo."

"Well, I don't need you to remind me! I haven't forgotten them for a whole month!"

"Just deal already." Ganko replied indignantly, before glancing up. "Mayu? . . . Mayu? Maaa-yuuu? Hello? Maaaaa-yuuuu? Anybody there?"

Mayu didn't stir, still staring at the center of the grass, not hearing her friend's comments, her long blond hair trailing over her shoulder.

Hojo gently elbowed Ganko, before softly speaking. "Leave it to me." He paused a moment, before taking a deep breath, and shouting. "Hey, Mayu! Hurry up! It's your turn!"

"Huh?" Mayu said, glancing up, before fumbling her hands around trying to find her cards. "What? What happened to my hand, and . . . what are we playing, anyway?"

Hojo and Ganko glanced at each other, before turning back. "Are you feeling okay, Mayu?" Ganko asked slowly, eyeing her carefully.

"Huh? Why?"

"You've never been this quiet since . . . hell, you've never been this quiet, far as I can remember!" Hojo blurted out.

"Oh, well, um, I was just thinking."

"Since when do you do . . . urk!"

Ganko smashed the back of Hojo's head with her bento box. "Moron."

There was a pause, before Hojo looked back up again, and noticed something else. "Sauske? What's with you?" The boy was staring off into space, just like Mayu was a moment before. "Did your mother make your lunch again?"

"Huh?!" Sauske replied suddenly, before shaking his head. "Oh, no, that's not it. My sister made this for me."

"Oh." Hojo replied, sitting up again. There was a long pause. "Well, then what were you thinking about?"

"Oh, nothing really, just . . . um, well, it's not important."

"Come on, you can tell us." Ganko said, leaning in. "What's going on, you two?"

Mayu paused, before sighing. "Its, um, just about yesterday."

Sauske went pale. "She . . . knows about Aki?! How?!" he thought to himself.

"What, was there more to the science project than schoolwork?" Hoko asked, before snickering. That was followed by a bento box to the back of his head, and a fist to the front of his head.

"Absolutely NOT, Hojo!"

"PERVERT! DOUBLE MORON!"

Hojo twitched a bit on the ground, before sitting up, shaking his head, smiling. "Hey, hey, come on, I was just joking. Unless, of course, I was right, then I would mean it," there was the sound of a small box of food being lifted to strike, "but we all know that's **not **true. So, what did happen?"

"Well, . . . have you ever seen Sauske fight?" she asked slowly.

"Of course!" Hojo said back quickly, beaming. "He beat the crud out of some kid named Naruto! . . . hey, that reminds me; Sauske, did you ever have that rematch he swore to bring to you?"

"Hojo, we fight every day."

"Oh."

Mayu turned towards Hojo, incredulous. "Wait; you've seen him fight before?! How come you never told me about it?!"

"What, you haven't?" Ganko said, blinking.

Mayu glanced back between them, before sighing. "Why am I the only one who didn't know?!"

Hojo shrugged. "Eh, it's not important. Sure, he's a great martial artist, but does that have to be . . . wait a second. Sauske." The boy in question hopped up an inch, before turning to Hojo. "What were you thinking about?"

Sauske was about to think of something to say, when three faces leaned towards him. "Uh . . . well, um, you see, it's . . . um, well, it's . . . um . . ." his mind drew a total blank, and his eyes began to wander aimlessly.

Hojo noticed his eye movement, turned around, and guessed what he was glancing to. "Oooohhh, I see." Hojo turned back, a sly smirk on his face. "I would never think you would think that, Sauske."

"What?! What is it, Hojo?" Mayu asked loudly. Sauske turned back to him, completely unsure what he was thinking.

"So, what did you two do, huh?"

"What are you talking about?" Sauske asked, blinking.

Mayu and Ganko leaned in closer. "Yeah, Hojo," Mayu continued, now very focused again, "what is it?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Hojo said, still with his sly smile. "Sauske listened to us, and asked Keira out on a date. When are you going out?"

"Really?!" Mayu said, as Sauske leaned back, blushing. "Where are you two going?!"

"Wha . . . what are you talking about?!"

"Come on, Sauske! We can tell by how bad you're blushing that that's what's going on! So come clean and tell us; we promise not to tell anyone, all right?"

"I . . . I don't know what you're all talking about!" Sauske said, blushing more.

"Something wrong, Sauske?" Ganko asked innocently.

"What do you mean?" Sauske replied.

"You're really blushing."

His face turned redder. "I am not!"

Hojo smirked more. "Did you kiss her?"

SMACK!

"STOP TALKING ABOUT ME BEHIND MY BACK, YOU PERVERT!" Keira shouted from across the school yard, her cheeks a pale crimson.

Hojo jumped up, turning around, and shouted back "WHY DO YOU KEEP THRWOING ROCKS AT ME?!" He rubbed the back of his head, and they stared each other down for a while.

Slowly, they broke eye contact, and sat down. "Triple moron." Ganko muttered.

"Four-year olds." Mayu mumbled.

Sauske slowly slid away from the tree. Fortunately, the distraction Keira caused kept everyone from noticing how far back he jumped when Hojo said "kissed". At this point in time, that was on the bottom of his list of things to talk about, only higher than "fiancée". He had gotten really lucky. "Well, I think you three are thinking there's more to this than what happened. I'm just really tired, so it's been tough to focus. That's all."

The other three looked up at him. It sounded true . . . and false. "Well, then let's play." Ganko said suddenly, snatching the cards and dealing out hands.

- - -

"What was that about, Keira?" her friend Chidori asked, as Keira sat back down with her food. "What did he say this time?"

The ninja-girl turned to say something, then froze, and began to blush vibrantly. "It's not important."

The other girl sitting with them, Kagome, shook her head. "No, wait. Lemme' guess. It's about Sauske . . ." Keira blushed brighter, "something that hasn't happened . . ." Keira blushed more, "hmmmm . . . I'm guessing . . . he said you kissed him."

Keira was completely red in the face, and she turned away in a completely failing attempt to hide her blush. "Wrong . . . he **asked **if I had kissed him yesterday."

"He did?!" Chidori exclaimed, huddling in. "Did you?!"

"NO!" Keira asked, some of the red fading. "I mean . . . no, I didn't."

"Why were they talking about that anyway?" Kagome asked, looking up and over at the four teens sitting at the base of the tree, now happily involved in their card game.

"I don't know. I can only hear that loud-mouthed Hojo from here; everyone else is too quiet for me to hear them unless they shout."

"Did you ask him out yet?" Chidori broke in, smiling.

Keira slid back an inch, before hunching in to protect her secret. "SHHH! Is that all you can think about?!"

"That's all you talk about."

"Wha . . . not really, but . . . anyway, no, not yet. I . . . I just haven't gotten to it yet."

"Still stalling?" Kagome shot in.

"That's not it at all!"

"Keira." Chidori said, with an annoyed tone.

"Fine. So I'm stalling; you try going up to Yoh and telling **him** you have a crush on him, and see how easy it is."

"Touché."

- - -

"Well, Akane, I'm going." Ranma said, sliding open the door.

Akane walked out, brushing her hair behind her ear. "All right. See you in a while, Ranma." He smiled, walking down the path and out to the road. There, he turned, and began his trek to Shampoo and Mousse's new home.

Akane smiled, watching him go, with a small wave of goodbye. When Ranma disappeared from sight, she turned back, walking into the house. "I guess it's all up to me now."

After cleaning all of the floors in the house, Akane finally took a break. She sat down at the table with her tea, letting the aroma soak into the room. Glancing up at the nearby clock, she sighed to herself. Everyone is going to be home soon. She took a long sip from her cup, before letting her shoulders drop. "Better enjoy it now." She thought to herself.

" . . . bwee . . ."

Akane glanced up, looking around. That sound she had just heard faded away, and so she turned back to her tea.

" . . . bwee . . ."

Akane jumped up, angry at the new sound for some reason. She couldn't tell what it was, but it sounded very familiar. "Probably the front door." She muttered to herself, walking out into the hall.

" . . . bweee . . ." THUMP!

"Whatever it is, it's banging on the door." She thought silently, and grabbed the front door, and flung it open, looking out. Nothing.

"Bwee . . . . eeeee!"

Akane looked down, and there was a frightened little black piglet. Not any ordinary piglet, though. This one had a bright yellow bandanna tied around its neck. Her little P-Chan.

"Hello, Ryoga." She said coldly, picking him up. "Lost again?"

"Bwee." The piglet squealed, nodding.

Akane held him for a moment, then sighed. "Come on, I'll get some hot water." She brought him upstairs to the bath, and left him on the floor. "Wait here." She commanded. Ryoga sat, unmoving, as Akane left the room.

Five minutes passed by. Nothing.

Another five minutes passed. Nothing.

Suddenly, the door swung open. Akane walked in, carrying a small stack of clothes, a large metal basin, and a kettle of hot water, the steam flowing out the spout and flooding the room. "All right, here you go, Ryoga. I have some of Ranma's clothes you can borrow for a while, too."

After placing everything on the floor, and filling the pan with the hot water, Akane left, closing the door behind her. Ryoga sped over, clambering up, and rolling into the water. Once human again, he stood up, and grabbed the clothes Akane had gotten him. Then, he left the room out the door Akane had gone through.

Akane grabbed him by the arm. "Come on, let's go, Ryoga." Ryoga was dragged away, down the stairs. "I'm guessing you want someone to walk you home, right?"

Ryoga, still being pulled through the house, nodded. "Bu-but you, um, you don't, uh, need to, Akane, if you, er, don't want to."

"It's fine, Ryoga." She replied, dragging him out the door, and closing it. On the door was a note left for her children, and with the house now taken care of, she led Ryoga away.

After several minutes of walking, Ryoga was finally able to wrench his arm free from Akane's grasp, and he followed her as they walked through the streets. He rubbed his arm through Ranma's red shirt, but said nothing.

The silence continued for several minutes, as they passed people, buildings, and places that each had their own distinct memories. Too many of them, both Akane and Ryoga noticed, were not the ones to think of right now. Too many had P-chan.

Ryoga couldn't hold it in any longer. "A-A-Akane?" The girl turned her head just enough to see him with one eye. "I-I just wanted to . . . say sorry for . . . the whole P-chan . . . thing."

"Ryoga, I know. You've told me that hundreds of times already." She replied, turning back away from him. "Besides, it was a long time ago."

"Do . . . does that mean you really do . . . forgive me?" he asked, as if saying it quickly would get him in more trouble.

Akane half-glanced back. "Forgiven? Yeah. You're forgiven. But that's all."

"Mea . . . meaning?"

"Meaning I still hate you."

Ryoga felt that ice bolt go straight through his heart. After a moment, though, he recovered. "All right."

Akane glanced back more, a questioning and angry look on her face. "What does that mean? Were you really expecting me to completely forget about all that?"

"Well, no . . ."

"Good! Because I'm not going to. You lied to me, Ryoga, and took advantage of me! I **still hate** **Ranma** for not doing more to tell me sooner! So what are you expecting me to do?!"

"I just thought . . . um . . ."

"Look, Ryoga! It's over. It happened a long time ago. Now, do yourself a favor and stop bringing it back up, so you have a one in a million shot that I'll actually forget it completely, and we can go on living happily, OKAY?!"

"Um, okay." Ryoga whispered back, shrinking from the woman's rage.

"Good!" Akane shouted, and turned back away. Almost immediately, her anger broke down to shame. All those memories came up again, having been buried as deep as they could go.

She was ashamed to have missed it all. Ranma's insults at Ryoga, giving away his secret; the bandanna tied around the pig; the strange appearances of one, and then the other. Why had she been so stupid?!

She shook her head, trying to force away the last memory or P-chan and Ryoga she had buried. But it came back anyway. The silence behind her only made the thoughts more powerful and clear. There were no distractions. She didn't want to remember the time she found out the truth. The only problem was, she did, and it wouldn't stay away any longer.

Next Chapter: The story of Akane, Ranma, and P-chan is revealed, and Ranma's newest fear takes place while he's away.

* * *

Well, that's another chapter done. And to say the same clichéd every writer uses: please give me reviews. I've got more story to come, and I'm open to suggestions and comments. Anyway, on with the reviews:

Sleepingbear: Wow, two reviews! Thanks for taking the time to write all that up, and I'm glad you liked this story so far. As for there being to many characters at once, I can understand that, but it's not easy when almost every character has a number of brothers and/or sisters. And as for the adults, that's something I haven't thought much about in detail, like the Kunos, but I'll try to have them play more active parts in the story. And as for the upcoming events, including the curses and how they got them, along with Aki and everything else, well . . . you'll just have to wait and see.

* * *

_Hibiki Ryoga_:

Age: 38

Occupation: Assistant trainer at Unryu Ranch.

Strength: 5

Stamina: 4

Speed: 2

Ki: 3

Aura: 1

Special Techniques: 2

Ryoga has gone through a lot since he met Ranma, and has gone through much more since Akane and Ranma finally agreed to their engagement. As for his appearance, he grew a quarter of an inch, his hair has grown out a tiny bit, and his body has become a labyrinth of scars, with more injury stories than anyone else from Ranma's childhood has. Including Ranma.

As for his martial arts growth, he has grown at a phenomenal level, almost equal to the amount of growth Ranma has made. His physical strength is over twice the level of before, and his endurance has grown in proportion. While this has allowed him to remain on par with Ranma, he has not been able to learn any new techniques beyond the Bakusai Tenketsu and Shi Shi Hodokan, along with his specialized weapons, the weighted umbrella, the bandannas, and the ribbon belt sword.

Over the years, and after many of the issues following Ranma and company were settled, Ryoga continued to battle with Ranma, if less for revenge, and more for the simple challenge of it. And while Ranma has won almost every one, Ryoga has been able to keep up with Ranma, even as he creates new techniques that Ryoga has no idea were possible. While Ranma uses his creativity and ingenuity to design new techniques, adjust older ones, and fight in ways never before seen, Ryoga uses what he knows, and then subtly adjusts it to compete with others' ingenious attacks.

While battling with Ranma has contributed much to his fighting over the last two decades, many of the injuries he has lived through were caused by Akane. After she discovered the fact that he was P-chan, and after it all sunk in, Akane spent most of her meetings with him on the attack. Eventually, however, she has begun to remain calm around him, although they both try to never meet alone, which often causes more arguments than anything else.

The other person greatly affected by the revelations of P-chan was Akari, who was engaged to Ryoga at the time. The whole turn of events between Ranma, Akane, and Ryoga bothered Akari, and so their relationship was almost shattered over the course of the next several months. However, through the suffering and trauma, things began to work out, and after seven months, Akari had forgiven him almost completely. After several more months, they were married, and life went on.

Out of that broken and mended couple came two sons, Kite and Naruto. And while there were never any real problems, their family was a bit unusual. The main reason was that Ryoga still had no sense of direction. That meant that his possibility of being with his family was completely random. While his ability to find his way around his home has improved, Ryoga still consistently gets lost, which means the family is quite used to being separated. However, whenever Ryoga is around, with the exception of a fight or two with Ranma, his whole life revolves around being with his family.

In short, Ryoga has changed as much as the world around him. He has gained a family, gained a new level of martial arts power, and gained many memories that he sometimes would wish to forget. This is not to say that all of Ryoga's life was suffering. Quite the opposite; however, the darker days have a tendency to stand out more prominently. But despite a few family problems, Ryoga's life has finally found a place to finally relax in.


	9. The Past, Relived

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma 1/2_, nor claim to.

Chapter Nine: The Past Relived:

"Sometimes, I need to remember just to breath; sometimes, I need you to stay away from me! Sometimes, I'm in disbelief, I don't know; somehow, I need you to go!" Linkin' Park: _Don't Stay_

"Ranma! What are you doing?!" Akane shouted, looking out into the hallway, as her husband left.

"I've had enough of ya, pig! We had a deal, remember?!" Ranma shouted, staring directly at P-chan, who was being carried towards the bath.

The pig nodded its head rapidly, before struggling to break free. The bandanna Ranma was holding came loose, and the pig freefalled to the ground. Freedom was slowly rising to meet him.

Ranma tossed the loose yellow bandanna aside, before flinging his hand back down, snatching the pig again. The next bandanna came loose, and Ranma tossed that one aside as well, trying to grab the pig again. After several more tries, Ranma reached around, grabbing the pig by its body, and carried him off.

Akane stopped, standing in the middle of the hall. Slowly, the twenty or so yellow bandannas floated to the ground, before gently settling on the floorboards. She slowly walked forward, approaching the yellow and black spotted cloths. Gently, she lowered herself down, crouching to reach one.

She took it up slowly, holding it near her face to see it better. It didn't take long to recognize it. She slumped down onto her knees, sitting in the middle of the floor. Something terrible entered her mind, and she instantly wished that had never entered her head. Then, Akane heard the voices.

"Ranma! What the hell are you doing?! We had a deal!"

"It's over! Part of it was you don't come back as a pig! Didja' forget that?!"

"Listen, I had an excuse for . . ."

"Some of them, maybe! But I've kept track. 347 times! 347 times you've come back since Akane and I were **married**! Hell, I was forgiving for the first 150 times already! But over three hundred?! How can you expect me ta' believe that it's an accident?!"

"Hard to believe, yes! But it's the truth!"

"Bullshit! I've had it with you!" There was a soft thump. "Put 'em on." Ranma commanded. There was the sound of moving water, followed by the rustling of cloth. "Outside. NOW!"

When Akane heard the footsteps, she glanced up, her face white with fear. She didn't want to believe what she had heard. That voice couldn't be whom she thought it was.

Ryoga was shoved out of the bath by Ranma, and paled immediately when he saw Akane sitting on the floor. Ranma paused too, unsure what to do. Quickly, he knew what to do, and it wasn't what he had planned. He shoved Ryoga forward. He was going to get off easy. Akane stayed sitting on the floor, now staring off into space.

Ranma swung the front door open, pushed him outside, and then spun him around. And bashed him in the face. Ryoga was tossed back several feet. "Ryoga!" He leaned forward off the ground. "If you **ever **come back here as P-chan and take advantage of Akane ever again, don't expect any forgiveness!" Ranma slammed the door, and went running back up to Akane.

"Akane!" She didn't move. Ranma ran up to her, squatting down next to her. "Akane!" Nothing. "Akane!"

"Akane!" Ryoga said loudly. Akane snapped out of her daydream, back to the present. "Thanks for bringing me to the bus stop." Ryoga continued, scratching the back of his head.

Akane nodded. "All right, Ryoga. I'll see you later." She immediately turned and walked back towards home.

Akane did her best to bury away the rest of the memories, but they wouldn't stay away.

She had been duped, and she had hated everyone for it. For the next whole month, she barely even left her room. Ranma, if she remembered correctly, after being beaten up by Soun, Genma, and even a bit by Nabiki, along with a **severe** (**really severe**) scolding by Kasumi, was tossed out of the house for most of that time too. Her husband gone, her friend now revealed as a traitor, Akane spent most of the time alone, but did her best to seem normal. After that first month, though, something inside her finally snapped. For the better. For the first time since finding out, she allowed herself to **be **her old self again.

She was **pissed**.

The next time she saw Ryoga, he was punted so far off, he likely landed back in China. Ranma spent most of the next two weeks alternating between running for his life, and recovering in Dr. Tofu's office. After another two weeks of yelling at him, Akane allowed Ranma one chance to explain things, saying every last thing that he did and didn't know. Any mistakes, and he'd be following Ryoga for a very long time.

And so, Ranma explained everything, from the very beginning, to the deal they made just a little while ago. Ryoga would not come back to the Dojo ever again as P-chan, except in absolute emergencies. And as long as he did, Ranma would never tell Akane about what had happened. This went on for a few months, both of them thinking that it would all work out, but it didn't. Ryoga kept coming around as P-chan, Ranma eventually couldn't take it anymore, and Akane found out the truth.

She sighed, walking slowly along the sidewalk. She really wanted to agree with what Ranma had said, that it was all Ryoga's fault, but something deep inside wouldn't let her believe that. Part of her truly believed he had come back as P-chan just to be with her.

But, she couldn't say it wasn't an accident; since Ryoga and Akari had gotten engaged a few weeks before, they had been coming to visit much more than normal. And Ryoga seemed to be getting lost more often than usual; he couldn't find his way out of the dojo for the whole day after Akari had accepted his proposal, and then he disappeared to Canada for a week. And P-chan had been acting very weird all the times before it. He had frozen in the halls whenever she had found him, and would run some of the times, while staying the other times, and even jumping back into her arms at still other times. It was all very confusing.

And as much as she hated to admit it, a very small voice, deeper inside than any other one, kept telling her it was her fault too. She should have noticed the signs better; the bandannas, the fact that they never appeared together, Ranma's comments, it was all right in front of her, and she ignored it.

None of it was helping. Every time she thought about it, things just got more jumbled than before, and it still stung no matter who was at fault. So what was she supposed to do?

"Hey, Akane!"

Akane glanced across the street, seeing a smiling face there. It was Akari, working her way through the food stands, picking out her groceries. Akane glanced along the street, and when the traffic cleared, dashed across. "Hello, Akari!"

She smiled, brushing a stray hair aside. "What are you doing here? It looked like you were thinking about something important."

Akane paused, her smile fading a tiny bit, before the answer swelled up inside her. "No, it wasn't that important. I was just walking Ryoga to the bus, so he could get home."

"Oh, drat. I wish I saw you walk by the first time. I could have used his help with the groceries."

"I'll help." Akane replied, smiling, and started walking along with her.

That was the answer. Simple, yet profound. It wasn't important anymore. Everything had happened almost two decades ago; that was too long to hold a grudge. It was time to let go of the pain. She had her family to watch over now, her friends to spend time with, her home to keep in order, her life to enjoy. It would be stupid to throw it all away because of one horrendous event. Her past was now further behind her; she had her future to watch over. That would be better than shaking her fist at the past.

- - -

"Come on, Sauske." Sakura said dryly, waiting for her brother at the gate. "Do you always take this long to leave?"

"Sakura, the bell just rang." He said back, as they began walking down the street towards home. "What's the rush today?"

"We're grounded, stupid! I do **not **want to get in trouble anymore, understand?!"

Sauske waved his hands around. "Hey, hey, calm down. I know, I know. Besides, I thought you were going to stay after anyway and go to Kendo tryouts."

Sakura placed her hand on the end of her sword hilt, keeping it balanced as they dashed across the street. "Let's just say our parents talked me out of it."

"Really? Mom and Dad talked **you** out of Kendo club tryouts?!"

"Well, that, and I talked with the people in charge, and they said I could have my own tryouts in two days. And since I really don't want to ask them for more time, let's get home **on **time."

Sauske adjusted the straps of his bag over his shoulders better, before turning to his sister and smiling. "Oh, don't worry, Sakura. There is nothing I can think of that could possibly make us . . ."

"SAOTOME!"

". . . late?" Sauske looked up ahead, noticing a certain spiky blond haired boy, dressed in bright orange clothes, standing in the middle of the sidewalk, his arms crossed, smiling smugly at them. It was Hibiki Naruto. "Okay, maybe one thing."

"How fast do you think you can beat him?" Sakura whispered to her brother.

"Between thirty seconds and two minutes, probably." He said back.

"Too long!" Sakura shouted, before turning to her brother. "Well, sorry to leave you all by yourself, but I got to get home! You two can just work this out on your own!" She turned back to the sidewalk, and went sprinting past Naruto.

"Hey, Sakura, wait up!" Sauske shouted, dashing past Naruto, and after his sister. "Just because I don't have a reason to avoid being grounded more, doesn't mean I want to be!" he hopped up onto the fence, sprinting as fast as he could, trying to catch up.

"DON'T THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY, SAUSKE!" Naruto shouted, noticing everyone was running away, and began running after the Saotomes.

Sauske began running faster, looking back over his shoulder. "Now is really not a good time, Naruto! Can't this wait until tomorrow?!"

"NEVER! I said I would beat you, and I'm going to! No matter how long it takes!"

Sakura dashed between people, as the crowd thickened. Her mind began focusing, and suddenly, a blue aura burst around her, as her pace doubled. Sauske was faster than she was normally, and on the fence, he didn't need to dodge between people. This would even things up. As well as making sure he would stop shouting for her to stop.

Sauske gave up shouting. There was no way his sister would hear her now. He could only run from Naruto, and keep up with Sakura.

Sakura let her aura go, and the huge field of blue color trailed off like a released cape, flowing apart in the breeze. She skidded to a stop at the front door, noticing a large sheet tacked to the frame. After a moment, Sauske slid up behind her, and noticed the note. She took it off the wall, sliding the door open, and reading it.

_Sauske and Sakura,_

_Something's come up, and I had to go out for a little while. Your father is visiting Shampoo and Mousse; if something comes up, the number is by the phone._

_I don't know when I'll be back, so one of you needs to start dinner for me. The recipe is on the counter by the sink, and everything you'll need is there too._

_Thanks, and be home soon,_

_Mom_

"TAKE THIS, SAUSKE!" Naruto shouted, jumping towards hit target, before swinging his foot out to kick him. Sauske sidestepped, and Naruto went careening through the doorway, and rolling along the floor.

Sauske stepped back to where he was before, finishing reading the note. Sakura folded it up, sighing. "Great. We ran all the way home, and they aren't even here." She looked to her brother. "I'll take care of the cooking, and you can take care of . . ."

"Don't think I've given up! TRY THIS!" Naruto shouted, jumping back at Sauske, punching forward. Sauske ducked, and the blond boy floated right over, careening into the ground behind them.

Sakura finished her train of thought. ". . . our little pest problem. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine." Sauske replied back, and walked back into the yard, as Sakura disappeared inside, closing the door behind her. "Come on, Naruto. I'll fight you in the dojo."

"Well, . . . FINE THEN!" he shouted, jumping up.

"And stop shouting so much." Sauske continued, rubbing his ears.

- - -

Naruto stood at one end of the dojo, while Sauske stood at the other, still wearing his school uniform of a white shirt and black pants, and his school bag resting limply on his shoulders. "All right, Naruto, lets get this over with."

"My thoughts exactly!" he shouted back, his fists clenched.

There was a long pause. "Well, what are you waiting for?" Sauske asked, staring his opponent down.

Naruto mentally kicked himself. He wasn't afraid of Sauske! He could win! "All right! Let's go!"

The blond boy dashed forward, sliding a bit side to side as he ran towards his opponent. Sauske stood, perfectly calm, his arms still down. Naruto kept running, slowly drawing his arm back to punch, as the distance closed.

Sauske chose then to react. Slinging his back off his shoulder, he swung it around into his hand. "Catch!" he said suddenly, throwing his bag straight for Naruto.

The blond boy stumbled a bit, the brown bag hurtling towards his head. He threw his hands up, deflecting the school bag into the air. Then he noticed it.

Sauske dashed up close, his hands clenched to fight, his body twisted to put him in a good position to attack. He swung out with his left hand, punching Naruto in the chest, before pulling his hand back and turning around. Swinging his right hand up, he uppercut Naruto into the air, his feet rising off the ground, the blond boy howling in pain.

Sauske spun the rest of the way around, not pausing for an instant. His foot sliding on the ground smoothly, he lifted his right foot off the ground. Still turning, he used his inertia to plant a roundhouse kick into Naruto's side, launching the boy across the room. After a few feet, the blond haired boy crashed into the ground, rolling along the floor, until flopping down to a stop, a trail of dust flowing behind him.

THUMP! Sauske's bag hit the ground, and stillness followed.

Sauske walked over, snatching his bag off the ground. "Well, guess that's it, Naruto. Bye." Sauske walked out the door, shutting it behind him, as Naruto pulled himself off the ground.

"Oh no you don't! I can still fight!" he shouted, running to the door, and swinging it open, running down the hall. "WHERE ARE YOU, SAUSKE?!"

"NARUTO!" Sakura screamed, jumping in front of the boy in the hall, clutching the end of her sword. "Will you shut up already?! If you're going to run around shouting, do it outside!"

"But . . ."

"BUT NOTHING! If you're going to keep shouting, go outside! NOW!"

"But . . ."

"NARUTO! Shut up or leave!"

The fact that Sakura had drawn her training sword, and was holding it up meanacingly at Naruto quickly ended the conversation. "Uh, yeah, you got it, Sakura-san. No harm done, right?"

Sakura's hands gripped tighter.

"WellIgottogonowSakurasoIguessI'llseeyoulaterbyenow!" Naruto said, running towards the door, and disappearing down the street.

- - -

Sakura filled the pot with water, placing it on the counter, when the door opened. "Hello!" a familiar female voice shouted.

"In here, Auska!" Sakura shouted.

A young redhead came bounding into the room. "Hi-yah, Sakura! Where is Mommy and Daddy?"

"Mother's out somewhere, and Father is visiting his friends, uh . . . Shampoo and Mousse, that was it."

"Oh, okay!"

"Where's Joseph and Amy?"

"Joseph spilled his bag outside, so they're cleaning it up. They'll be inside in a minute!"

"Okay." Sakura replied, reaching into the cabinet to pull out some rice.

"Whatcha doing?"

"Oh, Mother wanted me to start getting things ready for dinner, so I'm just getting the rice ready for sushi."

"Can I help?!" Auska asked happily.

"Sure, why not?"

- - -

Auska hopped up on the stool to see, her hands washed, and a small apron tied on over her school clothes. "Kay, what do I do?!" the girl exclaimed enthusiastically. She was smiling widely still, her red pigtails hanging down behind her shoulders.

"We're home!" another girl's voice said from the front door.

"In here, Amy!" Sakura shouted over her shoulder.

The long, brown haired girl walked into the kitchen. "What are you both doing?"

"Cooking!" Auska said happily.

"Really? Can I help?"

Auska looked up to her sister with big, puppy-dog eyes, almost pleading her to say yes. Sakura sighed. "Oh, Auska, you don't need to make that face. It may be a bit crowded in here, but why not?"

- - -

"All right, Auska, pour the rice out over there into that bowl." Sakura said, chopping more celery. "Then lay out the mat so we can roll the sushi."

"You got it!"

"All right, then Amy, you fill the pot with water again, and Auska, get the fish out of the fridge."

"Yes." Amy said, taking the pot, and walking back to the sink.

Auska walked to the refrigerator, opening it up, and hopping in the air, trying to reach the fish on the top shelf. After the fourth jump, she grabbed it, pulling it out, and brought it to her sister. "Where shud'i put it?"

"Over there on the counter. Amy, is the pot almost filled?"

"Yes, it will be done in a minute."

"Good." Sakura went back to the shelves to dig out another bag of rice, before talking over her shoulder. "When it's full, put it on the stove, Amy."

"All right, the pot is full."

Amy picked the pot back out of the sink, walking towards the other side of the kitchen, while Auska hurried back to close the refrigerator, before turning to return to her sister for more instructions. There were rumbling steps as someone raced down the stairs. Sauske appeared in the doorway. "Hey, what is for dinner, anyway?" He was now dressed in his martial arts gi, or what he passed for one. It was a uniform jacket, but with ordinary black pants and a plain white belt.

"I hope you finished your homework before you go training." Sakura replied, very motherly.

"Of course." He said back, smiling.

"We're makin' sushi, Sauske!" Auska cried happily, walking back into the kitchen.

Amy smiled as she saw him. "It will be gre . . . whaaa!"

The two younger girls crashed into each other. The water sloshed forward, spraying all over Auska and the pot. After an instant, Auska disappeared, her clothes collapsing onto the ground. The pot, now slick, slid out of Amy's hands, and crashed down onto the floor, on top of Auska's clothes, before Amy slipped backwards, falling down onto the ground.

Both Sauske and Sakura reacted instantly, shouting "AUSKA!" together, rushing over.

Sauske slid to a stop at the pot, before turning to Amy. "Amy! Quick, go get a bath started!" Amy, lifting herself off the ground, became pale when she noticed Auska had disappeared, but got up and ran upstairs anyway.

"Sauske! Call Uncle Ono now!" Sakura commanded, gently placing her fingers on the side of the pot.

"Right!" he said loudly, running to the phone on the wall, and dialing immediately.

The phone rang once, as Sakura chanted "Auska!" to herself, her face sheet-white. On the second ring, the phone picked up, and a woman answered. "Hello, Dr. Tofu's office."

"Aunt Kasumi! It's an emergency! Is Uncle Ono there?!"

"Oh, yes, hold on!"

"Auska, please be okay! Please be okay! Please be okay! Please be okay! Please be okay!" Sakura repeated in her head.

"Hello? Sauske? This is Ono."

"Doctor! Auska just changed into her cursed form, and we accidentally dropped a pot on her!"

"Oh, my! Base down?!"

"Uh . . . no, opening down. But haven't touched her yet. What should we do?"

"Gently lift it off, and tell me what's happened."

"Okay." Sauske turned the phone aside, looking to her sister. "All right, Sakura. Gently lift the pot off, and tell me if she's hurt."

Sakura gritted her teeth. "Please be okay!" she whispered to herself, lifting the pot up slowly, until it was several inches up, then swung it up high, looking down. "Please be okay!"

Next Chapter: Auska's cursed form, as well as her health, is revealed!

* * *

Hey, everybody! Well, that's the end of that chapter. If you were expecting more with the P-chan story, just continue onto the bio. I got plenty more for Akari.

Anyway, on with the reviews:

The Liz: Well, yes, maybe two days of being grounded is a bit soft, but it could be very strict too, since Ranma was never grounded. Then again, when he got in trouble, that usually meant someone sent him flying, so who knows whether or not that's strict.

* * *

_Hibiki Akari_

Age: 39

Occupation: Manager/Owner of Unryu Ranch

Strength: 1

Stamina: 1

Speed: 1

Ki: 1

Aura: 0

Special Techniques: 0

(Note: Akari does not fight with her hands, but through her sumo-pigs.)

Aki, like her husband Ryoga, has gone through many things since their first meeting many years ago. As for her physical appearance, she has aged, but still retains an apparent youth, and her small stature. As for her martial arts abilities, she still does not have any, but has done very minimal training to allow her to watch over the house on her own whenever Ryoga gets lost.

Her ranch, raising fighting pigs, however, has proved very successful. This is where her fighting strength has come from, and she has raised many fine battling pigs, and several exceptional ones as well. Her family often helps, especially Ryoga, who can, in emergencies, use his Jusenkyo curse of the drowned black pig to take the place of one of her battle pigs. While this hasn't earned them enough money to live comfortably and secure all the time, it has been more than enough for them to take care of her entire family, and the usual destruction that tends to follow Ryoga.

Her family, while very caring and loving, has probably been the most troubled of all the families coming after Ranma's arrival in Nerima. With Ryoga still having his very bad sense of direction, which meant Akari's family often just consisted of her and her two sons, Naruto and Kite. And while Ryoga was there whenever she really needed him, there were still many times where he would have been very useful to be around. From both the great events to the small ones, from Kite's discovery of his curse to the day to day chores of keeping the house and ranch in order.

Problems were at their worst during their engagement. At first, Akari knew she had made the right choice; she was sure nothing could happen to change that. Until Ryoga's curse was revealed. That set off a chain of events that would prevent the destruction of their engagement; although, at the time, breaking it seemed very appropriate.

When Akari first heard about how Ryoga acted as a pig with Akane, she denied it more furiously than Akane did, shutting herself away for most of the time, except for time with her friends (which did not include Ryoga and Ranma). And it was about the same time that Akane returned to her normal self that Akari was finally able to express her anger as well. Her first target, since her fiancé was now crash-landed somewhere within a thousand-mile radius, was Ranma.

Never being so angry before in her life, Akari vented much of her newfound frustration verbally onto Ranma, blaming him for knowingly allowing Ryoga to sleep with Akane in his pig form. Ranma, however, sat back and took it from both girls without question. That was to be Ranma's saving grace, and it set the precedent that Ryoga would have to follow to even have a chance to return to his older life (which he would). It was when Ryoga returned that Akari began to forgive Ranma, and soon, she knew the blame no longer rested with him.

When Ryoga returned, Akari's first reaction was similar to Ranma. The difference was, she was yelling much more than any other time, screaming at him about it daily. After kicking him out of the house for the twelfth time since he returned, something changed that would change her view. One she had finished her daily yelling at Ryoga, it happened that Akane was walking by to visit her, and noticed the lost boy in the road. Seeing as they were both alone, Akane sent Ryoga on a one way trip to who-knows-where. Akari, after minutes before screaming about how badly she wanted their engagement canceled, had calmed down greatly. And she saw exactly what Akane had done.

Akari and Akane had never argued so much in their life. Akane shouted about how much Ryoga deserved being hit, and that it was **her** that he betrayed, just as much as his fiancée. Akari argued back that he was **her** fiancé, and if she wanted to beat on anyone, Akane would have to settle with Ranma, and **nobody** else. They left each other a few minutes later, both angrier at the other than with Ryoga.

This pattern of Akari arguing with Ryoga, Akane beating up Ryoga, and then the two of them arguing about Akane's actions continued for a few months, until the last time Akane hit Ryoga simply for being P-chan. Akari spotted Akane about to hit Ryoga, and jumped in her way. Akane was able to stop the mallet in time, but their usual argument began again. The only difference was that during their debate, Akari shouted one thing at the top of her lungs. "I DON'T CARE, AKANE! HE'S MY HUSBAND-TO-BE STILL, AND IF YOU WANT TO HURT HIM, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH ME!"

Akane was as surprised by Akari as much as she was angry with Ryoga. Akane dropped the mallet and walked away, while Ryoga was all but paralyzed by Akari's words. After all, only five minutes before, Akari was shouting about breaking their engagement. A few months later, they were married, and the constant argument between Akari and Akane ended, and friendship between them returned even quicker. And while Akane still openly hated Ryoga, including in front of Akari, she never hit him for being P-chan ever again.

As for Akari and Ryoga, their relationship, even after getting together again so quickly, having children, and continuing their lives as before, was still often strained by the past for several years, each one getting slightly less pained as the one before.

Today, there are few things that really push their relationship problems out again. Akari truly has forgiven Ryoga, because it is so obvious how much Ryoga cares about her, and she cares about him. And no matter what others say about forgiving him for doing what he did, and no matter how much stress it has been to not only live with him, but also having a husband who is almost certainly lost every day, Akari **is **happy. It is difficult, painful, and challenging to live her own life, but as the old saying goes, "she wouldn't have it any other way."


	10. Taking Flight

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma ½_, nor claim to.

Chapter Ten: Taking Flight:

"I'd do anything just to hold you in my arms, to try to make you laugh, 'cuz somehow I can't put you in the past." Simple Plan: _I'd do Anything _

"Please be okay!" Sakura whispered loudly one more time, staring at the pile of clothes, made up of Auska's school uniform and her small pink apron. She stared in horror for a moment; she couldn't see anything! Was Auska crushed? It couldn't be happening! Suddenly, what looked like a bulge in the cloth turned out to be a large lump, which was now moving towards the large opening at the collar.

Sakura held her breath. It had to be Auska, but she could still be hurt. But she had to be alive! The older sister reached back, placing the pot down on the floor. Slowly, gingerly, she reached for the lump, lifting the cloth away, hoping to reveal her sister without hurting her. Sauske tightened his grip on the phone, as Sakura flicked the last bit of the shirt away.

"TWEET TWEET!"

Sakura stared down, paralyzed, as the small bird shook its head rapidly. There was a small mist of water flowing off, before it hopped forward a few inches, and looked up at Sakura, then at Sauske, then back to Sakura. "TWEET!"

"Auska?" Sakura asked, as if she didn't even know what her sister turned into. The bird bobbed her head, then puffed out her red chest to fluff the feathers that were still wet. "Are you okay?" The bird bobbed again. "Are you sure?" Auska bobbed again. "I mean completely. Absolutely nothings wrong? You don't feel sick? You don't have any pain **anywhere**?"

The bird glanced back at Sauske, who was still pale, before hopping around on the ground. She fluffed out her feathers, shook her small head, spreading and flapping her wings a bit, and wriggled her tail feathers. Then, Auska hopped back up to her sister. "TWEET TWEET TWEET!"

There was a sudden sigh of relief, as both Sauske and Sakura relaxed their shoulders, breathing out. "Uncle, I'm sorry for worrying you. Auska's fine."

There was a small chuckle on the other side of the line. "Don't worry about it, Sauske. That is good to hear; I'm glad she's safe." He paused for a moment. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Sauske paused a moment, thinking. "No, that's all."

"Well, then, I have to get back to my patient. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, uncle, and thank you." With that, Sauske hung up the phone, as a rumbling of feet came down the stairs. Sauske turned to see Amy, and now Joseph, running into the room.

"The bath is ready, Sakura!" Amy shouted, only slowing when Sauske held his hand out in front of them.

Joseph peered over the arm, glancing down on the floor. "Is she okay?!"

Sakura sighed happily, then turned to them, smiling. "Yeah, she's fine, Joseph, Amy." Sakura reached her hand down, holding out her index finger. "Hop on, Auska, and I'll get you changed back." The bird looked for a moment, before she hopped powerfully up, and landed softly onto Sakura's finger, digging her claws in gently. Sakura raised her hand up, before turning back to Amy and Joseph. "Amy, go get some clean clothes from Auska's room, and Joseph, help Sauske clean up the mess in here."

"Yes." The two chorused together, as everyone went to work. Amy rushed back out into the house, while Joseph moved carefully around to clear the clothes and pot from the floor. Sauske went to a closet to get a towel to wipe up the water. Sakura carried her younger sister up to the bath, thinking over the last few minutes over again.

- - -

The robin glanced around as Sakura lowered her down to the edge of the bath. The bird hopped down, standing on the side, before hopping along to the water's edge. She paused a moment, hopping around to look up at her sister, before turning around again and leaping into the water.

The bird sank beneath the water, before the ripples calmed. Suddenly, the water bulged up in the same place, before exploding as Auska breached the surface, smiling.

"Okay, Auska, how did you turn back into a . . ." Sakura began, before being interrupted.

"Can I be a bird for a while?!" Auska asked, smiling up at her sister.

"W-what?"

"Can I be a bird for a while? I want to try flying again! It's been almost a whole year, and I really want to fly again!"

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Sakura said loudly, shaking her head. "You're supposed to be the one who's not going to change, remember?! That's why Father gave you all the waterproof soap!"

"Why do I have to be human all the time?!" Auska asked, clinging to the side of the bath.

"Because, your form is a bird. Which, therefor, has a weakened heart, ultra light bones, and an extremely small size. And let's not forget the fact that lots of things out there like to eat robins!"

"Please?!" Auska asked, hunching lower onto the edge.

Sakura shook her head. "No."

"Please?!"

"No."

"Pleeeeeeeeaaaasssee?!"

"No."

"Pretty please with lots and lots of sugar?!"

Sakura looked down at her sister, now with huge, trembling, ultra-cute eyes looking up at her. Sakura gritted her teeth. "Fine!"

"YAAAAAAAAAY!"

"Two things, though." Sakura added quickly, holding up her hand to get her sister to stop yelling. "One, you get half an hour, you must stay within my sight, and if I call you back, you come back right away." Auska nodded. "And two, tell me how come you turned back into a robin."

Auska pondered that for a moment, before shrugging. "I dunno, it just happened. I used the new waterproof soap I found." She reached over, grabbing her soap, and handing it to her sister.

Sakura looked at it for a moment, before turning it over. There was a big smiley face drawn on, with the words "April Fools" carved in. Sakura paused, before shuddering. "Stupid American holiday. I tried pulling one trick on my father, and look what happened."

Auska looked up, blinking, before Sakura leaned back, sighing. "All right, lets go."

- - -

"Auska! Don't go so high!" Sakura shouted as the robin zipped by in the sky, before shooting higher into the air. After a rocky fifteen minutes, Auska was quickly learning how to fly, and the turns and dives became more graceful and controlled.

"TWEET TWEET TWEET TWEET!" the bid chirped loudly, as diving again, towards Sakura. The girl lifted her arm, holding it out to provide a landing spot for her sister.

The red bird dove down, before fluttering quickly, turning up, and slowing to nearly an absolute stop a few inches from Sakura. There, she floated, before dropping gently onto the arm, gripping in, and folding her wings back.

"Well, that was a good landing. Finished?" her sister asked hopefully, to which the bird shook its head rapidly, and chirped twice. "You want to keep flying?" The bird chirped once, bobbing its head, then hopping to the end of the arm, and then hopping greatly to spin around in the air, landing softly back onto the arm.

The bird stretched out its wings, before flapping hard, and leaping forward. She dove for a moment, to build up speed, before flapping powerfully to turn back up and rise higher into the air. Soon, Auska was back to full speed, racing around the yard, before taking a big turn, and zipping around one of the sides of the house.

"Sakura!" a voice shouted. The girl turned, and her blood immediately froze. She knew this was going to be bad. "Whatcha' doin'?" Why hadn't she smelled him coming? The wind breezed along the back of her neck. Perfect; she was upwind of the road.

"Oh, heh, um, hi, father." Sakura mumbled loudly, struggling to keep talking. "Nothing, really, just checking something outside. Mom's out, and there as a bit of an accident in the kitchen, so could you go inside and help get the rice started."

"Where's Auska?" Ranma asked, walking towards his daughter.

"Wh-wh-why would you need her?!" Sakura asked, trying to contain her fear.

"Well, she loves ta' cook, so why not ask her ta' help too?"

"Oh, right, good idea. Well, she's somewhere inside," Sakura started dragging her father towards the house, "so why don't you start looking for her, and I'll be inside in a minute."

"Sakura, what's really . . ."

"TWEET TWEET TWEET TWEET!"

Ranma looked back, stopping several feet from the front door, and ignored his daughter's renewed pull towards the house. A red robin zoomed by, coming unusually close for a bird, before turning away, and flying out towards the street. There, it turned sharply, and came back towards them.

"TWEET TWEET TWEET TWEET!"

Sakura, realizing it was probably over, slowly raised her arm to give her sister a place to land. The bird dove down, before flying up a bit, flapping to slow, and carefully landed onto her sister's arm, gripping into the sleeve of her shirt.

Ranma paused, looking at the bird. It hopped around, looking at him, before chirping loudly. Ranma sighed. "Oh, Sakura, would that bird, which you're so intent on me not seein', be your sister?"

Sakura paused. She had to say this the right way. "Yes, but . . ."

"No buts, Sakura." Ranma interrupted. "You can' . . ."

Sakura interrupted him right back. "No, yes buts! Listen, there are three good reasons you can't blame this on me! One: it's not my fault the soap she used toady wasn't the waterproof soap. Two: I've been here watching her carefully for the entire time!"

Ranma paused, still angry, but waited nonetheless. "And the third thing?"

"Three:" Sakura continued, "Would you have been able to say no to Auska's face?"

Ranma paused more, thinking everything over in his head. He saw the little robin's face, with the giant-sized, watery eyes staring hopefully up at him. Sakura paused, hoping this wouldn't make things worse for her. Then, Ranma finally hit his decision.

He started to laugh. "Yeah, you're right, Sakura. I wouldn't have said no, like you. You go fix up the kitchen. I'll watch Auska for ya."

- - -

Sauske had never jumped so high when he heard the door to the door open. The one that leads to the outside, which he saw Aki leave the night before. For an instant he was sure he would be dead. Fortunately, it was Keira at the door.

The kunoichi walked in slowly, assuring herself that she could do this. But something else had caught her eye first, and that broke her train of thought completely. "Sauske-kun? What's wrong?"

"Huh?" he said, relaxing from the state of shock. "Oh, nothing, I thought you were someone else."

"Who?"

"Oh, um, well . . ." Sauske murmured, trying to come up with something. "I just thought you were Naruto again."

"Oh." Keira mumbled, as she returned to the real reason she came here. Sauske stood a distance off, on the other side of the room. Unintentionally, she took a quick look-over of the boy.

He had on his white martial arts gi jacket, a white cloth belt, and a pair of black pants, with a white undershirt barely visible in the small space of the cut of the jacket. His hair was still in disarray, although pressed flat. He had recovered his poise, standing calmly, watching her. Her mind began to drift off, before she caught herself. Forcing out a smile, she recovered, and began to walk towards him.

Sauske watched her as she approached. She had on her deep blue-black body suit, the sword tied behind her, already wired to the sheath, and a large brown pouch hung on her right hip. Her arms were still covered from the shoulder to the elbow by the clothing, but now she had a large black cloth covering her left forearm.

Her brown hair was still tied in the long braid, swaying slightly as she walked towards him. Her bangs had been pulled back behind her ears, and was held in place by the matching blue bandanna tied over her forehead. Her thin body trailed effortlessly forward, as if it was as weightless as it looked.

Sauske pulled his mind back to reality. No sense in making himself any more awkward with people than he already was. Besides, whatever Keira wanted to talk about seemed important.

Keira finished approaching, and took a deep breath. "Um, Sauske-kun, I know we always come here after school when we train and everything."

"I don't mind, Keira." Sauske replied, unsure where this was going.

She nodded back. "I know, but I still wanted to say that . . . um, well if you wanted to come and visit the restaurant, it's fine, and . . . well, um . . ."

Sauske smiled, nodding to her. "Sure, Keira, that would be good. I just can't go tomorrow."

"Oh, I didn't mean for that; I just wanted you to know the offer's there." Keira replied, shuffling her feet.

"I'll be sure to come by sometime, it's just I'm grounded right now."

"Grounded?" Keira asked, pulling herself out of dreamland again. "What happened?"

"Oh, I got in trouble fighting with someone. That's all."

"With who?" Keira asked innocently.

"Who?" Sauske replied tentatively. "Oh, um, it was, uh, some girl, uh, that my Dad, uh, said I shouldn't fight at all. And, um, things happened, so I, uh, ended up fighting her, and I got grounded for two days."

"Who was she?"

"Oh, um, just the daughter of one of my dad's friends. That was why I wasn't supposed to fight her."

Keira scratched her head. "Well Sauske-kun, I never thought you would be one to get violent. Well, except for . . ." her eyes widened, "You didn't . . ."

"No, no, nothing like that, Keira. I kind of got talked into it, that's all. Nobody was hurt."

Keira nodded, sighing in relief. "Well, that's all I came to say. Since you're grounded, you probably have homework and chores to do, so we can't spar . . ."

"Finished them already. So if you want to, we can." He said with a smile.

"Sure, sounds like fun." Keira replied, smiling back.

- - -

"I'm home!" a woman's voice shouted into the home.

"In here!" Sakura shouted from the kitchen. She listened as footsteps approached, and her mother peeked into the kitchen. "Hi, Mom. Just working on dinner, like you asked."

"Here, I can take over. You have homework, I'm guessing." Akane replied, and her daughter reluctantly agreed.

"Hi, Mommy!" Auska said, merrily walking towards Akane. "Daddy wants to see you."

"Oh? And where is he?"

"Up in your room, readin'."

"And what have you been doing today, Auska?" Akane asked, smiling, and walking out of the kitchen.

"Flying!"

- - -

Akane slid the door open, noticing her husband curled up on their bed, reading another copy of _Shonen Sunday_. "Ranma?" Ranma glanced up, realized who it was, and closed his book, sitting up. "You wanted to talk to me?"

"Didn't think you'd get back so soon. Where were ya, anyway?"

Akane sighed, walking in, closing the door behind her. "Oh, Ryoga came by, so I walked him home. And let him borrow some clothes." Noticing Ranma's questioning glance, Akane continued. "He was P-chan when he came."

"Oh, I get ya."

Akane sat down on the bed next to him. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

"Well, I heard something very interestin' at Shampoo and Mousse's new home."

Akane blinked. "What was it?"

"Well, besides meeting their other children and hearin' all about why they moved here, they told me Aki hasn't said anythin' about being engaged to Sauske. Not one word 'bout him, or their fight. So, they brought her in, and asked her about it."

Akane waited, as Ranma paused. "Well?" she asked, tired of waiting.

"She said she didn't know what we were talkin' about!" Ranma exclaimed, before calming down. "She said she knew who Sauske was, but never remembered anythin' about fighting him, including losin' to him."

Akane nodded. "You're right, Ranma, that is interesting. What do you think? Could it be possible for Sauske and Sakura to be lying?"

"Don't see why they would. I mean, do they really wanna get engaged to someone?"

"Yeah, I know. So, that means Aki is lying. But why? They don't live in China anymore; would they really still follow the laws?"

Ranma sighed. "Unfortunately, Akane, yeah. Since they still live in an Amazon village."

Akane blinked. "Excuse me?"

"That's why Shampoo and Mousse are here. Since they left Japan, a lot of Amazons came to live here after hearin' all the stories. And so, there's a bunch of them all grouped around there too. It's like a little Chinatown down there."

"Anyway, Akane," Ranma continued, "this means Sauske and Aki **aren't **engaged."

"Which is good."

"But they could be as soon as we figure out what's really goin' on."

"Which is bad."

Ranma nodded. "Yeah, so what are we gonna' do?"

Akane paused, thinking it over in her head. "Well, I don't want to, but we should probably help straighten this out."

"Yeah, but how?"

Akane sighed. "Well, let's give it a few days, and we'll think of something."

All Ranma could do was nod.

- - -

Keira walked along the road for the first time in years. Usually, she ran from one place to another, bolting past every person along the sidewalks and such. But this time, she just walked. Sure, it was along the fence, but that was nothing special.

The important thing was she had done it. She had gone and asked Sauske to come and visit her. She smiled as she walked along, her mind drifting off again.

* * *

Sauske sat happily at the counter of Ucchan's, wearing his clean school uniform, and waiting on his food. The restaurant was absolutely empty, except for the two of them.

Keira, on the kitchen side, was happily flipping an okonomiyaki of her own creation up, before it landed perfectly on the grill again. She smiled more, watching the toppings sizzle, while the little design remained in perfect order. She brushed her skirt down, straightening it, before sliding the okonomiyaki off the grill and onto a plate, and bringing it over to Sauske.

Sauske was about to take it and eat, when he saw something. "Uh, Keira?" Sauske asked tentatively, his cheeks growing a slight rosy tint. Keira, removing her apron, hung it on the hook and straightened her uniform shirt before walking over to him, wondering what he wanted, but secretly hoping she already knew. "Keira? Do you really mean this?" he continued, pointing to his food.

Keira glanced down, making sure her words were still there. This was her final piece to play. After everything, it was time to put it all on the line. "Yes, Sauske-kun. That's exactly how I feel."

Sauske couldn't believe it. There were only five words written there, but they probably meant more than any other five words had before. "Sauske. I love you. Keira." Sauske re-read them one more time. He blushed more.

Keira bit her lip, wondering why he was hesitating. "Well?"

Sauske sat in silence for a moment. Slowly, he began to speak. "Keira, I don't know what to say." Keira didn't like the way his voice sounded. "But, . . . I'll try. For the past few months, since I first went to your restaurant after being grounded, I've always liked spending more time with you. I didn't know what to say, or what to do, I just followed you, and hoped I could keep myself from making a mistake that would cost us our friendship."

Keira, walking around the counter and sitting at a stool next to him, shook her head. "Sauske-kun, we'll always be friends, no matter what happens. You have to believe that."

Sauske nodded, sighing. "Well, I couldn't stop thinking of you. Because . . ." His voice trailed away, as he turned towards Keira.

Keira, instructively, leaned slightly closer. "Yes?" she asked softly.

Sauske leaned a bit closer. "For a very long time now, Keira, . . ." his voice barely had any volume, but the blush was slowly fading, as his fear drained away.

They both inched their faces a bit closer together. "Yes?" Keira asked again, her eyes watching him with a gentle, encouraging glance.

His eyes suddenly met hers, and the words tumbled out softly. "I love you too."

Keira only murmured in acknowledgment, as their faces moved closer. Sauske tilted his head slightly, as Keira gently closed her eyes, the distance between their lips continuing to shorten. Sauske, his hand originally resting on his knee, slowly reached up, landing delicately on Keira's shoulder.

The girl shuddered a tiny bit, as she felt the boy's breath passing gently onto her lips. They were only three inches away from kissing . . . two inches . . . one inch . . .

* * *

"WHAAAAAA!" Keira screamed, as she accidentally stepped off the fence. Flailing around, her body spun, and she fell off the fence, landing on her back.

She lay there for a minute, before sitting up, rubbing the back of her head. "Okay, new idea. Don't daydream until I get home." Keira thought silently in her head. She sighed, getting up, and started running off for home.

After a while, her head clear, she sighed to herself. "What was I thinking?! No way would things turn out like that! I mean, really . . . I was wearing one of those evil school uniforms!"

- - -

The darkness of night shone through her window, but none of that mattered. She reached into the trunk she had under her bed, carefully looking through to find what she needed. Some of her hair draped over her shoulder, which she then flipped back to keep it out of her face. Even with the light of her room, it took her a minute or two to find what she was looking for.

Once her hands reached the cloth, she pulled it out of the box, and unfolded it, laying the weapon out on her bed. It was a bow. Realizing this wasn't what she wanted, the weapon was bundled up and placed back in the box. Searching for another few minutes, the girl pulled out a different bundle, this time longer and thinner. Placing it on the bed, the cloth was unfurled, and the girl's face lit up.

There was her sword.

Taking the scabbard in her hand, she brought the weapon up to her face, she pulled the sword out, examining the blade. It was a Chinese broadsword, with an edge on both side, and the girl's meticulous eye for weaponry, especially her own, told her that it was still sharp. Very sharp. And so, the blade was slung back into the scabbard.

The sword was leaned against the wall, as the girl thought out a plan. She had the base set already. Of course, she didn't want to have to lie, but she needed time, and if everyone were off trying to solve a story of "he said, she said" there would be plenty of time to get a second chance at this.

Aki sighed to herself as she sat down on the bed. She never wanted to lie to her family, but there was no choice. If they found out, she would have to be engaged to that idiot she had met. This was the only way she could get out of this.

One more fight with that boy, and if she won, she could claim victory, and escape the engagement. But it had to be before anyone else found out. It would have to be tomorrow, the day after at the latest. She would hold her focus this time. She could get out of this engagement safely, before anything happened. Or, at the very least, Aki would get his respect, whether through word or sword.

That included the boy's aura.

Next Chapter: Day two of being grounded.

* * *

Well, that's the end of this chapter. I'm not so sure of myself for this one, especially after Keira's daydream, so I hope it's not too bad. Well, anyway, let's go on to the reviews:

The Liz: Well, I hope I already answered why Auska is so weak in her cursed form.

Sleepingbear: Okay, so maybe I wrote a bit much about P-chan with Akari, but it was a big part of her life. And I felt bad not writing so much in the chapter, so I added more. And as for the bios and curses, I'm glad you like them.

angelii: WHOO! Two reviews! Thank you! Anyway, now you know what Auska becomes. And thank you for the kind words.

* * *

_Shampoo_

Age: 39

Occupation: Unemployed, but starting a new, unnamed restaurant

Strength: 2

Stamina: 2

Speed: 3

Ki: 2

Aura: 3

Special Techniques: ?

Shampoo is an example of the minimal amount of change occurred in the last twenty-two years. Appearance wise, Shampoo has changed little beyond her old appearances when she first arrived, other than some slight signs of aging. The most significant would be that her hair, while retaining its violet color, has reached a slightly dulled, matured color, instead of its vibrant purple. As for her martial arts abilities, she has done some training, but the effects of it, since she has only just returned from China, are unknown.

Her feelings have also changed little. She still retains a healthy love for Ranma, emphasis on healthy, which is now reigned in, instead of loose and free like when she first became engaged to him. Shampoo also has a lingering distrust of Ukyo and Akane, a severe sense of apathy for Ryoga, Akari, and Konatsu, and, of course, a profound respect for her culture and heritage. That's not to say she still outwardly hates Ukyo or Akane, or anything similar to before, but the feelings and pressures are still there, even if they are greatly reduced.

But that's not to say she isn't happy with her current life; quite the contrary. Even before breaking off the engagement the only way possible (which Ranma has forced everyone involved to not bring it up ever again), Shampoo had begun to find solace in Mousse, first as a friend, and slowly, as someone more than that. While their relationship was delayed several times by his over-eagerness, eventually they did fall in love.

Their family, counter-intuitively, may be the most fairy-tale of them all. At least as far as the happily-ever-after part goes. Except for a slight resurgence of feelings when Ranma returned to China five years ago, Shampoo and Mousse have had the simplest of all relationships. They had four children, two boys and two girls, ages 17, 16, 16, and 11, respectively. (FYI: The middle sister and brother were fraternal twins. And the girl was born first.)

As for her children, she loves them all, and takes great care training them. Most of her training is focused on her middle children, who have chosen ways of fighting much more similar to herself. Her older son and younger daughter spend much more time training with Mousse, although she helps quite frequently with her daughter's disability.

Overall, as stated above, Shampoo has changed little. She talks the same, looks the same, and fights the same. While there are changes at work in her life, and maturity and parenthood have reached a full swing, she still retains the youth, vibrancy, and intensity many have grown to love and hate (although, unfortunately, many more people prefer the second one to the first).


	11. Secret Curses

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma 1/2_, nor claim to.

Chapter Eleven: Secret Curses:

"Motivation, such an aggravation. Accusations, don't know how to take them. Inspirations, getting hard to fake it. Concentrations, never hard to break it. Situation, never what you want it to be!" Sum 41: _Motivation_

"Come on, Sauske! We're going to be late!" Sakura shouted back, as her brother sprinted to keep up. She kept running though, praying to make it to school on time.

After a minute of running, Sauske had finally caught up. He was still tucking in his shirt as he ran, and Sakura could easily tell he was at least half-asleep. After a moment, he was back to looking normal as always, although a little tired.

"Something wrong?" Sakura asked. "I've never seen you oversleep before."

"A nightmare, that's all. I couldn't really sleep after it."

"Oh, okay." Sakura said calmly, as they dashed across the street. As her brother hopped back up, she glanced up again. "What was it about?"

Sauske said nothing.

A moment passed, before Sakura looked up. "Sauske? Is something wrong?"

"Nothing." He said very calmly, but continually avoided looking his sister in the eyes. "What about you? You overslept too."

"Aw, you already know what I'm going to say. It's that same stupid dream with the wolf. I want to know what yours was."

Sauske said nothing again.

"Don't make me come up there!" Sakura shouted, drawing her sword. "I was kind enough to explain mine, so you better tell me yours!"

"Fine!" Sauske said suddenly, without looking at his sister. "It was a giant muffin! Are you happy now?!"

"Sauske, you are the lamest liar I have ever known! Now what was it really about?!"

Sauske smirked secretly, before stifling it. "All right, Sakura, you got me. I was really dreaming about that time I slipped off the roof."

Sakura continued her run along her brother, shaking her head. "Sauske?" The boy didn't glance to her. "Why aren't you looking at me?"

The boy gulped, stumbling a step, before catching himself and continuing to run. "I don't know what you mean by that," he said cheerfully, smiling and rubbing the back of his head as he looked over at his sister on the ground.

Now it was Sakura's turn to smirk. She stared up at him with her piercing yellow-green eyes, and quickly she knew she had him. He stared back, trying to eek out a smile under her gaze. "Sauske? Why do I get the feeling your lying to me?"

The boy already knew it was over. Just because he understood why his sister's gaze was so powerful didn't mean it made it any less creepy. Those eyes seemed to stare straight to his soul, cutting off any ability to lie. "Well, um, the thing is, uh, well, you know, uh . . ." Sauske pulled himself together, turning back to where he was running on the chain link fence, "it was Aki."

Sakura blinked. "Aki? You mean that Chinese girl from . . ." Sauske cut her off by nodding. "Why? What happened?"

"What do you think? You're the one who told me she wanted to kill me!"

Sakura sighed, shaking her head. "Yeah, I did, but you beat her so easily! How can you get worried when you barely had to try?"

"Because I was trying." Sauske said clearly, noting the school quickly approaching. "If I hadn't gotten lucky enough to just barely avoid the attacks she had made, I would have lost pretty early. That first punch really hurt."

"Well, you could always use . . ." Sakura was cut off before she could finish.

"NO!" Sauske shouted loudly, staring down at his sister, before jumping off the fence as it came to an end. He took a breath for a minute, before continuing. "I don't want to use that. It's safe for you, but I can't control it . . . I wish I never said yes to learning that."

Sakura sighed. "Yeah, say that if you want, but you have to admit. . ." her voice faded a bit, as Sauske glanced over, waiting for her to finish. Sakura just paused, smiling.

"Well? I have to admit what?"

"You have to admit," Sakura began, smiling a little more, "it's good knowing there won't be anyone you can't protect when you let loose; you're almost invincible. Right?"

Sauske paused as the raced into the schoolyard, slowing to a brisk walk. Then, he nodded, sighing. "At least there's one good thing about it."

- - -

"Hey, Ganko!" Sauske said happily as she walked up to him, Mayu, and Hojo as they sat at the base of the normal tree. "Did you find out anything?"

Mayu and Hojo glanced over at Sauske as the girl in glasses took a seat with them, placing her lunch onto the ground. "Yes, Sauske, I did." She reached behind herself, pulling up her school bag, and drawing a large book out of the inside. The title was _Cats of the World_.

"What are you looking for, Sauske?" Mayu asked, turning back to him, while Hojo leaned closer to the book, trying to see what Ganko was looking for. Ganko, ignoring the others, continued to flip through the pages, until she stopped at one particular entry.

"Here it is, Sauske." Ganko said, placing the book down in between them, and turning it around so it was right side up to Sauske. On one page, there was a large color picture of a cat. Not just any cat, however.

Sauske looked at the picture, and confirmed his suspicion. "Yeah, Ganko, this is it."

The cat was walking slowly across a log, several feet above whoever was photographing it, looking down curiously. The cat was a few feet wide, with gray and brown mixed in its fur. There was a long tail, what looked like very sharp teeth and claws, and most important of all, the small black tufts of fur extending back off its ears. Sauske stared at this for another few seconds, before nodding his head. "Yeah, Ganko, this is exactly it. Except for the color."

"What is it?!" Hojo asked, staring down at it, and tired of his friends not explaining things.

Ganko sighed, leaning back, and pushing her glasses back up onto her face. "It's a lynx. A North American predator that lives in Western United States and Canada, mostly in forests and mountainous areas. Sauske thinks he saw one."

"I did see one, Ganko!" Sauske replied, now on the defensive. "The thing is, it had blue fur in spots too. Not just brown and gray."

"And I'm telling you, Sauske, that that isn't possible. They don't look like that, and they don't live around here. It's just too far fetched."

"Far fetched?" Sauske asked back, staring at her. "Do you have any idea where we live? The central hub of all weirdness! You especially ought to know that. Your parents ought to have told you all about their old principal. The one with the palm tree on his head!"

"I thought that was a myth." Mayu asked, to witch Hojo shook his head.

"Nope, that was real. But we've had a few principals since then, and fortunately, the one we have now is much saner than he used to be."

"Fine, I'll admit that, Sauske, but where would it have come from?" Ganko asked, returning the conversation to where it began.

"Well, maybe it escaped from a zoo, and that Chinese couple found it?"

Ganko shook her head. "No chance. I thought of that, and looked up anything about an escaped lynx. The last one that might have been close by was three that escaped in China. And it was over twenty years ago."

"So, they could have had baby lynxes or something." Sauske fired back.

"Wrong again." Ganko replied, shaking her head a second time, before brushing her short black hair out of her eyes. "Two of them were found in two weeks, and returned. The third was found a year later, having drowned in some pond up in the mountains by a local village. I checked other things too, Sauske, and nothing made it appear that there even could be a cat like that in Japan. Sorry, Sauske, but there's nothing I could think of to make it work out. I just don't believe this is what you saw."

"I know what I saw, Ganko." Sauske replied coolly, shutting the book.

Ganko sighed. "When I see it, I'll believe you. Mayu, deal the cards."

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure."

- - -

"Sauske! Hurry up! I don't want to be late!" Sakura shouted from the front gate as her brother hustled to reach her in time.

"All right, all right, let's go then!" he said, as they began to run towards home. Sauske jumped up onto the fence, and noticed a blue sheath begin to appear around his sister. Slowly, her pace began to increase, and with the thinner crowd on the sidewalk, began to run faster than Sauske could without losing his balance. Of course, Keira easily shot past them both and disappeared up ahead on her run home, but that was a given.

Sakura didn't even pause to notice Naruto as she bolted past. The blond boy shouted something as Sauske ran past, but her brain didn't register it, and she kept running.

Sauske ignored the blond boy running up behind him, shouting for him to stop, and kept sprinting to keep up with his sister. If they didn't arrive home together, he might get grounded more. And that couldn't happen.

"SAUSKE! STOP RUNNING AND FIGHT ME!" Naruto shouted, running along the sidewalk, but barely able to dodge through even the small crowd near there. Seeing only one alternative, he leapt up, landing onto the fence. "IF YOU THINK I CAN'T FOLLOW YOU, YOU'RE WRO-AAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Naruto shouted as he fell sideways, down towards the water below at the bottom of the ditch.

Sauske heard a very satisfying splash, and kept running without looking back. After a moment, though, he felt another tremble in the metal as someone jumped up onto the fence, and then the vibrations of another person running behind him, and catching up. "Shoot! Naruto's still going!" Sauske kept running, picking up speed, and slowly the tides turned as the boy began to pull away from his predator.

Sakura kept running, spying a big turn up ahead, noting every tiny obstacle to dodge, and bolted between and around every one, flawlessly racing to the end of the street, and making an almost ninety degree turn on a dime, before bolting down the road again.

Sauske saw the turn coming, but wasn't ready to turn that well on a fence, so he cut the corner, jumping from one fence to the other, landing on the fence with a loud CHANG!, and sprinting down along it. With the distance that his twenty foot leap cut off, he was now next to his sister, but quickly he began to fall behind a few feet. There was a sudden lurch in the fence.

"EEEEEEEE!" a voice shouted, followed by the sound of someone crashing into the fence Sauske was running on. Sauske didn't look back again, even though the voice was decidedly more . . . feminine that Naruto's normal voice. But it wasn't important, so he kept running.

The girl, now clinging to the fence to keep herself from falling into the water below, pulled herself up and over, before dropping down onto the solid sidewalk. She sat there for a moment, before pounding her fists on the ground as Sauske escaped down the road. After a moment, he was gone from sight.

- - -

Sakura was first home, but Sauske was able to arrive only second later, bursting in as Sakura calmly entered. Both panted in the hall as they removed their shoes, and then shouted, "WE'RE HOME!" together.

Akane walked past the front hall. "Oh, you're home already?" The two children looked up at her questioningly. "Oh well, you can get started on your homework, then." She continued out of the room, and into the kitchen.

She looked through a few things, before the sound of her children running up the steps to their rooms resounded through the walls. Akane sighed; he probably had it. She walked back there, entering as the very last student walked out the door. Ranma was putting away some training equipment, smiling to himself.

"Oh, what are you so happy about?" Akane asked, walking over to him.

He glanced up, surprised, his smile fading into fear for a split second, before it returned. "Oh, hi Akane. It was just, uh, that Recca kid. He's really starting to improve. I'm happy for 'im."

She stuck out her hand, palm up.

"What is it, Akane?" Ranma asked tentatively, still smiling.

"Ranma, just give it to me."

"What are you talkin' about?" Ranma continued, the fear starting to reappear on his face.

"You said I could pick dinner out. Now give me that card so I can make it right!"

Ranma began to sweat really badly. "What makes you think I got it?"

"Ranma." Akane said angrily.

"Well, if you want it that badly . . ." Ranma began pulling it out of his pocket, "YOU'LL HAVE TO CATCH ME!" Immediately, he bolted out of the dojo, Akane on his heels in a second.

In one leap, Ranma hopped up onto a nearby fence, running from his wife, who was now also running along the fence, although a bit more precariously. He turned back to see her.

Akane's raven blue hair fluttered in the wind, as did the small folds in the cloth of her martial arts uniform. Her face, while originally still angry, was starting to calm as she enjoyed her training. Suddenly, she looked pale. "Ranma! Look . . ."

Ranma turned back, and blacked out.

" . . . out." Akane finished calmly, as Ranma smashed into a low tree branch. "Jeeze, you're supposed to be the expert martial artist around here, but you're still an idiot." She reached down into his pocket, feeling around for a card with her fingers. "Well, I guess I better drag you back now." Her nail caught on a small index card in his pocket, which she pulled out. "Finally!" she said happily, pulling out her absolutely favorite meal to cook, written out by her sister. Standing back up, she flipped the card over.

On the front, there was a large "BOGUS!" stamped on the front.

"GOTCHA!" Ranma shouted, leaping up and grabbing her in a bear hug from behind. Akane almost screamed from shock, but quickly calmed down. "What did I always tell you?"

The woman sighed. "I know, I know, never turn you back to an opponent. Can I have the card back now?"

"After one thing." Ranma said calmly, leaning over her shoulder, and using one of his hands to gently turn her face towards his. She didn't resist, and slowly, they kissed for several seconds, before breaking apart.

Akane paused for a moment. "Well, can I have it back now?!"

Ranma shook his head. "Not until you do one thing."

"And what was that just now?"

"A break." Ranma said happily. "Now, run the fence back to home, and you get the card."  
Akane groaned loudly.

- - -

Sakura grabbed her sword. She was so glad to get her homework done early, racing downstairs to practice for tomorrow's tryouts for a while. Sure, she was skipping her chores, but that could wait a minute or so.

- - -

Sauske sighed as he shook his head, talking to Keira. "Sorry, but he's not here. I lost him on the way here."

"Stupid Naruto!" Keira thought to herself. "The one time I have to get something back to Hibiki-san, he doesn't show up."

"Sorry to make things worse for you." Sauske said, rubbing the back of his head.

Keira looked up, shocked, before shaking her head. "No, it's no problem. I'm sure he's wandering around somewhere nearby."

- - -

Sakura happily began practicing, swinging around the koi pond. This was a good spot for her to practice; it was a beautiful day, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. She swung hard down, before turning the wooden sword, and slashing across. Turning, she continued her attacks along the rocks on the edge of the pond. It was slippery there, but she wasn't worried. It wasn't like there was anything to distract her.

"SO LONG, SAUSKE-KUN!"

- - -

"WHAAAAAAAA!" SPLOOOSH!

Sauske and Keira immediately turned towards the back of the house as the scream came. Instinctively, they ran for the other side of the dojo, and out through the door. Racing through the halls, Sauske ran up to the sliding panels, throwing them open.

Keira was immediately next to him, gazing out. She thought something gray zoomed away in the corner of her eye, but when she glanced towards it, there was nothing there. "Sauske, what is it?"

The boy noticed a sword floating on top of the water, and quickly turned Keira around and walked her back towards the dojo. "Eh, uh, well, it was probably nothing. Besides, if you want to find Naruto, you better get going. He's going to be going home as soon as he realizes we're not sparring today."

Keira nodded, running back out and disappearing through the door. Sauske paused for a moment, before walking out to the pond, fishing out the sword. "All right, Sakura, you can come out. Keira's gone."

As the boy turned back, he noticed his sister, in her cursed form, crouching behind the wall. She looked up to him. "I'll go start a bath." Sauske said, walking into the house, followed quickly by the clicking sound of his sister's feet.

- - -

Kite sighed as he glanced down over the fence. There was his brother's orange clothes floating gently on the surface of the water. "Jeeze, Naruto, do I have to help you everything?" Reaching onto the top of the fence, he leapt up, and slid down into the water, crashing into the cold stream at the bottom, the water level high enough to revert him to his cursed form. There, Kite gathered everything up.

- - -

Keira raced down the streets, looking for any sign of Naruto or Kite, or anyone who might help her find them. She just wished her mother hadn't chosen today to force her to return a book she had borrowed from Akari. Then again, Sauske was grounded, and that meant he'd have a lot of stuff to do before he could spend time with friends.

Suddenly, she noticed someone up ahead, carrying something in their arms. It looked like a young, slightly small, pinkish-red haired boy walking down the road. And while the uniforms were similar to Furinkan's, it looked like a Kolhotz High uniform too. They were almost the same, anyway. Best of all, there was a patch on the boy's bag saying "Kolhotz High Rules!" That was the same school as Naruto and Kite. Maybe he knew where they were!

"Hey, you! Can I talk to you?!" Keira shouted as she raced down the street towards the boy.

The pink-red haired boy looked back carefully, before noticing who it was who was shouting at him. Then, he took off running.

"Hey! Wait! I just want to ask you something!" Keira shouted, trying to catch up. Unfortunately, the crowd was too thick for her to keep an eye on him perfectly. Then, he dodged down a different street, and disappeared.

Keira turned down the corner, and searched the new street with her eyes. The boy was gone. After another moment of searching, she sighed. "Well, I guess I better just start running to their home. It'll be easier than trying to find them." With that, Keira began running to the Hibiki residence.

Behind an alley wall, the redhead sighed, clutching the second, and stupider, half of the problem. "Jeeze, that was close. What would have happened if she actually caught up to us?"

- - -

Akane cleared the dishes from dinner as everyone began to relax. Sakura had been reminded of her chores after coming out of her bath several hours ago, but neither her nor Ranma grounded her any more days. Things were getting quiet, and Akane knew better than to let something like that go to waste.

Suddenly, the silence was broken by a ringing phone. Akane rushed over, snatching it up. "Hello?"

"AKANE! GUESS WHO?!"

Akane slowly placed the receiver next to her ear. "Hi Nabiki." There was a giggle on the other end of the line. "You seem happy."

"Oh, and why wouldn't I be happy?"

Akane sighed. "Never mind. So, what are you calling for?"

"Just to let you know you're getting more family tomorrow."

"Meaning?"

"We're going to be back tomorrow!"

"She's way too happy right now. They've just . . ." Akane paused, then shuddered. "Better not think about that."

"Think about what?"

Akane immediately clamped her mouth shut for a moment. "Oh, nothing."

"Okay."

"So, when are you getting back?"

"Well, the plane is landing early tomorrow morning, so we should be back before lunch."

"Great! I'll make you some special welcome back food!"

"But we decided to grab something to eat at the airport, so we won't want lunch." Akane rolled her eyes. Nabiki continued from the other end of the line. "So, how are things there?"

"Pretty ordinary. Especially Joseph." Akane could hear her sister sigh on the other end of the line. "The only new thing around here is Shampoo and Mousse have moved back to Nerima, and we've run out of soap again. Oh, and Sauske's engaged, Amazon law, blahdy blah blah, you know."

There was a pause on the other side. "You seem to be taking it really well."

"Well, I'm screaming on the inside, but outside, things are pretty calm."

"You'll have to tell us about it."

"Oh, don't worry, I will." Akane muttered.

"Well, Brandon says hi."

"Tell him no practical jokes until after the fiancée thing is straightened out."

"No . . . what do you mean, 'straightened out'?"

"Like I said, I'll explain it when you get here."

"Well, all right then, bye."

"Bye, Nabiki." After a click was heard on the other end of the line, Akane hung up the phone.

Next Chapter: Nabiki and Brandon finally return, and Sakura goes to kendo tryouts.

* * *

Well, there's chapter eleven. I hope this one turned out good too; it started off as filler, and it wasn't very good, so I rewrote part of it, and I like it a lot more. The action part of this story is coming back soon, so just hold out a little more. Big stuff happening soon.

Anyway, on with the reviews:

Sleepingbear: I'm glad you thought things were going well. And I hadn't even thought that when I called the chapter "Taking Flight", but now I wish I had sent somebody flying. Oh well.

* * *

_Mousse_

Age: 39

Occupation: Unemployed, but starting a new, unnamed restaurant

Strength: 2 – 3

Stamina: 4

Speed: 2

Ki: 1

Aura: 1

Special Techniques: ?

Mousse, Like Shampoo, has changed a minimal amount since he first appeared in Ranma's life. Appearance: almost no change. He still has his goofy, extra-thick glasses, his long black hair, and the white robes he always wears. His martial arts strength has increased, along with his speed, but how much this has helped him is unclear, since he has only just returned to Nerima.

Mousse **has** changed emotionally, a little. He no longer has the endless outward hatred for Ranma, and is on somewhat friendly terms with most everyone else. Since he has won Shampoo's heart, most of his reason for hating everyone is gone. He doesn't necessarily like Ranma, but he does respect him, and a trust is growing between them.

He still believes in Amazon laws, now more than before, since that was what got him Shampoo, although Ranma, and therefor Shampoo, won't let him talk about it. So his tendency is to continue to apply the laws to his children, which Shampoo does as well. Then again, the fact that they have left their village to live in Japan, even with others of their own village, is a sign that their following of the laws is slightly lax, relative to in China.

As was mentioned before in Shampoo's profile, Mousse's life with Shampoo has been far beyond excellent. Since the laws brought an end to the engagement between Shampoo and Ranma, both of them returned home with their honor. There, they only became that much better respected with their amazing tales and powerful discoveries. Even Cologne accepted Shampoo and Mousse, after seeing how truly happy she was. Also, his family, with a side note on their second, and youngest, daughter, his four children may be the four best children he could have ever hoped for.

His children a very much a part of his life. He has focused his own training on his oldest son and youngest daughter, who have both chosen to fight through a mastery of hidden weapons, and has passed much of his skills on to both of them. But all four of his children are learning from him, just as all four learn from their mother.

Ultimately, Mousse, like his wife, is far beyond content. He is ecstatic with his life. He has a wife whom he loves more than ever, four children whom he loves just as much as Shampoo, and a bright and promising future in Japan.


	12. Last Chances

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma 1/2_, nor claim to.

Key: "Japanese, _Chinese,_ English"

Chapter Twelve: Last Chances:

"I never believed that things, they happen for a reason, and they never go as planned. I wanted to thank you for a vision that was lost that you returned, but you're passed where you understand." Third Eye Blind: _Blinded_

Keira slowly let her eyes open, as the loud ringing of the alarm clock forced her awake. After a moment, she slammed the button on the top, and the incessant noise ended. Slowly, she sat up, letting the covers slide away from her pajamas. After stretching her arms a bit, she slid to the side and onto the floor of her room. That's when she remembered.

Sauske was coming here today!

She perked up immediately, rushing into her closet. And for the first time since she had overslept several years ago, Keira changed into her school uniform first. Once she was dressed, she gathered her school materials, and jammed them into her bag before bounding down the stairs happily, her skirt trailing around her.

Ukyo smiled as her daughter came around, before stopping still. "Keira, is something wrong?" Keira stopped, blinking at her mother. Ukyo pointed to her clothes.

The girl looked over what she was wearing for a moment, before shaking her head. "Nope, mom, everything is fine. I just thought I'd leave for school early."

The woman dropped the plates she was holding, which crashed onto the floor. "E-e-early?"

Keira looked over at her. "Mom, was that our breakfast?"

"AAAHH!" Ukyo shouted, running to grab a broom and sweep everything up.

Keira paused, thinking things over. "Actually mom, don't worry. I'll get something at school. I have to leave now if I'm going to walk there in time."

Ukyo tripped on . . . something, but stumbled back up, looking back at her daughter like she as a ghost. "W . . . walk?"

Keira walked out the door, smiling happily. Ukyo watched her for a few seconds, before she felt faint. Suddenly, Keira rushed back, bursting in the door. "Oh, Mom, I almost forgot. Is it all right that Sauske-kun comes by after school today?"

Ukyo suddenly regained all her strength, standing up and nodding. Keira smiled. "Thanks mom!" Then, she disappeared out the door.

The woman sighed as her son walked down the stairs. "So, that's what made her so happy . . ."

"Mom?" Haku asked, rubbing his eyes, and still wearing his pajamas. "What was that noise?"

"Huh?" Ukyo asked, still zoned out a bit, before smiling and turning back to Haku. "Keira just surprised me, sugar; that's all."

"Oh. What happened?"

"She walked to school."

Haku stared in disbelief. "And then what happened? Martians invaded?"

- - -

Keira smiled while she sat in class. Getting to school early was great! She got a moment to talk to Sauske, and get him to come bye after school. He was going to meet her at the restaurant and . . . everything was **perfect**! "There's nothing that can go wrong!" she whispered to herself with glee.

- - -

Aki woke up, quickly shaking drowsiness from her eyes, and glancing at the clock. She only had a few hours to get to Sauske. Her parents were going to stop by the same house they had visited two days ago, and if she didn't beat Sauske by then, it was over.

She would get to him, **today**.

- - -

Keira sighed. "Yep, nothing can go wrong."

- - -

Akane carried the sandwiches out onto the table. Ranma immediately grabbed one, sitting next to her. "Well, when do you think they're getting' here?" he asked, glancing up at the clock. It was almost noon.

"Probably later. Nabiki said they wanted to eat somewhere else instead of here with us." Akane said with a sigh.

"Hey, Akane?" Ranma asked, looking over innocently.

"Yes, Ranma?"

"Can I have their sandwiches then?"

"All right, Ranma. Take," the plate where the sandwiches were sitting began to roll around, no longer weighed down, "them?" Akane looked over at her husband, who had stacked the last two on top of each other, and was gobbling through them. After a second, they were gone.

Akane was about to sigh, when the door opened. "We're home!" a voice shouted from the front door. After a short pause, a woman wearing a beat up, oversized T-shirt and jeans carrying a pair of bulging suitcases walked into the doorway. Noticing Akane and Ranma eating, she dropped the bags, and walked in. "Hey Ranma, sis."

"Hi Nabiki." Akane said cheerfully, while Ranma just nodded since his mouth was still full. "Where's Brandon?"

"I am just taking my shoes off." A man's voice called from behind the doorway, before there was a thump against the wall. "Whoops."

"You know," Nabiki said to the voice behind the wall, "it helps if you untie your shoes before taking them off."

"I'll do it my way, thank you very much."

After a moment, a tall, lean American male stepped into the doorway, reaching his arm around Nabiki. He had light, dirty-blond hair, cut short with thin white-blond highlights along his bangs. He had a thin, pleasant smile, accentuated by his light blue eyes and relaxed body language. There was absolutely nothing threatening about him; he seemed as innocent as a young child.

Akane and Ranma knew better, though, and immediately began taking exact notice of everything visible. Brandon already had them on their toes. The only thing that worried them more was that he was starting to rub off on Nabiki.

"Hi Brandon!" Ranma said, finally swallowing the last bits of the double-decker sandwiches.

Akane smiled too. "How was the trip?"

"Oh, it was not that bad." Brandon replied, as they walked over to the table. "Do you want anything ta drink?" he asked Nabiki.

"No, thank you." Nabiki replied, smiling to her husband as she sat down, and he walked past the table and into the kitchen.

"Ranma, Akane, do you want anything to drink?" Brandon continued.

Both of them perked up, before smiling again. "No, I'm good." Ranma said quickly.

"Me too." Akane followed, before turning back to her sister. "So, how was lunch?"

Nabiki smiled. "Oh, we just got something quick at the airport."

"We?" came Brandon's voice from the kitchen. "You mean you."

"Well, fine, I guess it was just me, but I offered it, didn't I?"

"You should have known how much your sister loves to cook, so I was waiting to eat here. After all, she can make some really good sandwiches."

"Sorry Brandon, but we thought you were going to eat somewhere else, so we already finished lunch. I would give you one, but I already ate the last one just now." Ranma relied, sighing.

"Oh." Brandon replied. There was the sound of running water as he filled his glass with water, before returning to the table. He placed the glass down on the table, before thinking. "Well, I do have that can of peanuts." He muttered to himself, before walking back to his bag. Ranma and Akane perked up again, but didn't settle completely this time.

"So, Akane, what's this I hear about Sauske being engaged?" Nabiki began, which let Ranma and Akane relax a bit.

"Well, Shampoo and Mousse have returned, and are now living here in Nerima, along with all of their children." Akane began.

"Is that a bad thing?" Brandon asked, returning to the table and carrying a small can labeled "Peanuts".

"Well, no, that ain't the bad thing." Ranma replied, sighing. "The bad thing is that when they came to visit, Sauske ended up fightin' their older daughter, and now they're engaged."

"Supposedly." Akane added.

"What does that mean?" Nabiki asked as Brandon forcefully pulled off the lid of the can with a loud POP! She forced herself to keep from smiling when both Ranma and Akane jumped at the sound.

"Well, Aki, their daughter," Akane continued as Brandon stuffed a handful of peanuts into his mouth, an began chewing quietly, "went back home and said that the two of them never fought. So, now, nobody knows if they're really engaged or not."

"Want some, Nabiki?" Brandon asked, swallowing hard, and handing the can over to his wife. She nodded, and took a handful herself. "Now, these are the Chinese Amazon people, correct? The ones with the unusual laws and everything?"

"Yeah, that's them." Ranma replied. "But it ain't so bad for me anymore."

"No." Akane replied to her husband. "But our son is pretty much screwed."

Brandon, his face not even shifting, blinked at her. "And that is wrong how?" Akane choked back, glaring at him, as Ranma stared at him in horror and Nabiki's mouth twitched a small smile. "It is about time he learned some more responsibility." He capped the peanut can, and turned to Nabiki. "So, do you want to go shopping for wedding presents?"

"Wedding?" Akane asked, for the first time realizing what could really come of this. "You don't really think . . ."

"Akane, let's think about this realistically." Nabiki added, now back to being serious. Brandon nodded, turning the can in his hands slowly. "What's the worst thing that could happen?"

Akane sat, really thinking this over fully for the first time. "I don't know, maybe he'll get married to her."

"Akane, it's simple. One, they fall in love, and marry and live happily ever after and all that crap. Two, they hate each other, and they break the engagement the same way Ranma and Shampoo did. Three, Sauske falls in love with her, but she doesn't, and they break up. Sauske's not the type to force someone to like him, so he'll probably let it drop pretty quick. And four, she loves him, and he doesn't, and . . ." Nabiki's voice trailed off.

"And what?" Ranma asked, a little pale.

"Well, that's difficult to figure out. I can't really say, I've never met the girl. We'll just have to see how things turn out, won't we? But, I think Shampoo's actions from before give us a pretty good base for what could happen." Nabiki replied, a hint of authority in her voice.

Ranma paled, remembering much of the hell that was his first years here in Nerima. Akane sighed, drifting off into thought again, leaning down onto her elbows and zoning out. Brandon sighed, and leaned across the table, holding out the can of peanuts to her. "Do you want some, Akane?" Akane shook out her thoughts, smiled, nodded, and took the can. Pulling it over to herself, she placed her hand on the lid and pulled. It didn't come off. Taking the can in a better grip, she pulled the lid off with all her strength. And after a second, it came off suddenly.

BANG! "AAAAAAAAAAGH!" Akane screamed as the can exploded, spraying rainbow confetti everywhere. Ranma jumped back several feet. Brandon looked on without any change in expression, while Nabiki covered her mouth with her hand, shocked. Although, her hand was there to hide the smile behind it.

"Akane, next time, warn me before blowing up the peanuts. All right?"

She just glared back at him.

- - -

Sauske sat calmly at the base of the tree, smiling a bit. The boy was finally feeling really happy with his life right now. No more being grounded, he would now get to spend his afternoon with his best friend. Sauske should have known that it wouldn't last. "Hey, Sauske!" Hojo shouted a bit louder than necessary. "What's with the smile, and the zoning out, and everything?"

"Oh, just thinking about meeting a friend." He replied, half absent-mindedly.

"Who?" Mayu asked, blinking at him.

Sauske was still in dreamland when he replied, "Keira." Big mistake.

When people break the sound barrier, there is a sonic boom, a loud explosion of sound caused by the object moving so quickly. Apparently, when breaking the speed of light, that sound disappeared. Because Sauske was instantly smothered by his friends faces. And there was no luminescent boom.

"You're really meeting her?!"

"Where are you going?!"

"Is this a date?!"

"Are you going to ask her out on one?!"

"Are you going to kiss her?!"

"You two really are more than friends, aren't you?!"

"Can I come?!"

"Me too!"

"I want to go to!"

"So, can we go?!" they chorused together. Then, the chant began, slowly quickening. "Can we?! Can we?! Can we?! Can we?! Can we?! Can we?! Can we?! Can we?! Can we?! Can we?! Can we?! Can we?! Can we?! Can we?! Canwecanwecanwecanwecanwecanwecanweanwecanwecanwe?!"

The chant was finally broken by Hojo getting a small rock to the back of the skull. Except this one had an exceptional amount of force, hurling the boy several feet beyond the tree. Mayu and Ganko, leaning back, saw a very, **very** angry and flustered Keira standing up in the field, holding several more rocks, staring directly at them.

Sauske knew he screwed up. Then, inspiration hit. He began talking, much louder than he needed to. "Well, uh, we're going to the ice cream shop on Main Street." He could see Keira about to hurl a rock towards his head, when she stopped. Then, she really caught on.

Sauske ducked to avoid the pebble, which bounced off the tree, and then Mayu's shoulder, before coming to rest on the ground several feet away. Ganko and Mayu immediately looked back to Keira, who looked hurt, sad, and much calmer, as she dropped back to the ground, sending angry looks at the trio. As Ganko and Mayu returned to their old spots, Mayu rubbing her shoulder, they sighed.

"Sorry Sauske." Ganko began.

"Yeah, sorry. We didn't mean to mess things up." Mayu added. "We just wanted to know."

"It's all right." Sauske added slowly. "I'll talk to her after school. I'm sure she'll understand. Just forget about it."

- - -

Sauske slowly walked to the gate, glancing around for his friend. Suddenly, Keira appeared next to him. "Smart move, Sauske-kun." Keira said, smiling.

"Thanks." He replied, smiling back.

"Do you think they bought it? And are going to follow up on it?"

"My friends? Of course they are." Sauske replied with a satisfied nod. Then, his expression turned calmer. "Oh, Keira, I have to check something with one of my teachers, so I might be a bit late. I'll meet you there."

Keira sighed, before smiling again and nodding. "Well, then, Sauske-kun, I'll meet you at the 'ice cream store'."

- - -

Sakura smiled as she lifted the helmet up. Sliding it gently over her head, she knew she was ready. She was already wearing her chest armor, Kendo clothing, and reed-wood sword; the helmet just finished the appearance. She began walking quickly to the gym, where the match would officially begin.

Unfortunately, she noticed something that bothered her on the way. The helmet was definitely used. There were the smells of hundreds of people's sweat, many of them faint, but together the smell was almost overwhelming. Sakura scowled; that meant she would have to stick to traditional methods to track her opponent. Not that that was going to be a problem, as she opened the door, and stepped defiantly inside.

- - -

"Keira, you might want to step back. You're scaring the customers, hon', and you need to clean off the face print you're going to leave when you pull yourself off the glass." Ukyo chided.

Immediately, Keira leaned back off the glass, turning and smiling back at her mother. "Heh, um, sorry. I'll get the rag." She went back to the washroom, and grabbed a rag from the rack on the backside of the door, before returning to wipe off her face print from the front window.

"Keira, word of advice." Ukyo said, walking up to the grill to begin the next few okonomiyakis for her customers. "Don't get over eager, hon'. It definitely doesn't make you look good."

Keira blushed a bit as she wiped away the mark from the window, before going back and putting the rag away. "Heh, right." She replied, rubbing the back of her head. She brushed her shirt, before looking up at her. "What do you think?" she asked her mother, waving towards what she was wearing.

The mother looked at her daughter, wearing a loose fitting, light green T-shirt, and a pair of plain blue jeans. There was a small ribbon in her hair, right near the back of her head, similar to the one Ukyo used to wear, except it was also light green. And, of course, her hair was still tied in a braid, with the small white bow at the end.

Ukyo sighed, then walked over to her daughter. She placed her hands on her shoulder. "Keira, take a deep breath in," the daughter breathed in slowly, "breath out," the girl followed by slowly breathing out, "and relax. You look fine, sugar."

Keira smiled, nodding, and blushing more. "I'm just nervous, that's all, Mom."

"Why?" Ukyo asked, not sarcastically, but pleasantly. "Sauske is your friend. No matter what happens, he's going to be glad he came here, because he gets to spend time with you. Don't worry about impressing him or anything. Just have fun."

Keira nodded, smiling, then went to wash her hands.

- - -

Aki was glad Sauske was walking this time. As soon as he reached the alleyway, she stepped out in front of him, blocking his path menacingly. He was obviously surprised to see her, as he stuttered out "A-Aki-san?! What are you doing here?!"

Aki took out a folded piece of paper, and shoved it into his hands. "Meet me here . . . in ten minutes."

Sauske obviously looked like it was the last thing in the world he wanted to deal with. "Is it really that important?"

"Vital." Aki replied. "This . . . must be settled now." Sauske glanced back at her, sighing. "You had better be there . . . in ten minutes." She finished in a threatening tone, before walking past him and down a different alley. She would leave his imagination to think of a suitable thing for her to do if he didn't show.

- - -

Naruto was about to jump out, when he stopped. He hadn't recognized that girl, but it was obvious she said something that made his rival get on edge. Sauske was reading some note, before he sighed, and said, "She's not even trying to hide what this is. And it's at least halfway across the district. Ten minuets? It could take . . . might as well get it over with. Maybe it can be done fast enough to get back to Ucchan's in time." Then, he crumpled the note, and tossed it into the alleyway.

Naruto watched him walk back towards him, turning into the alley that girl had gone into, and disappeared. He waited for a moment, just in case Sauske reappeared, then, when nothing happened, slipped out and hurried over to the alleyway where the note was tossed. "It shouldn't be too hard to find a piece of crumpled paper." Naruto thought. He glanced into the alleyway.

And found seven big trashcans.

- - -

Sakura stood in the center of the gym, inside the area designated to her trial. Across the room, a middle aged man, the Kendo club coach, and a girl a year younger than Sakura, the team's assistant and equipment manager, stood watching her. "Saotome Sakura!" the man shouted, to which Sakura bowed. "I'm glad you came. We have a special test set up for you."

"I'm ready for anything you've got!" Sakura shouted, waving her sword in the air.

"Well, then, let me explain the rules. You will be fighting one of our accepted members. First to three hits to the head, torso, arms, or back will be declared the winner!" the man shouted, holding out the thumbs up sign. "Just so you know, Sakura, you don't **have **to win; we would like to see your best effort, though. Do not hold back, if you're serious about joining the Kendo club."

"Don't worry, I'll win." Sakura said defiantly.

The man smiled, before nodding. "Well, then, if you're sure, we'll bring in your opponent." He muttered some words to the girl next to him, who then went and opened the door. Stepping back, another figure entered the room. Sakura guessed the person was a male by the way he walked and his body structure, but it was possible for it to go either way. He was dressed in full kendo gear, including armor and helmet already in place, so Sakura couldn't make out his face either. He held a reed-wood sword, gripping the leather handle tightly, and walked into a position opposite her.

On some unseen cue, they both bowed to each other. After a moment, both stood up again, raising the swords to each other. There was a pause, as they waited for their cue from the coach.

He smiled widely, as the girl picked up a clipboard, watching them carefully, especially Sakura. "Ready?!" the man shouted, before holding out the thumbs up sign again. "GO!"

- - -

Sauske wandered into the abandoned lot. Aki was here somewhere. With nobody around, it was a bit eerie to be standing alone in a field, waiting for someone to arrive. "All right, Aki. I'm here." Sauske said to nobody. There was no response. "What is this about?"

"Simple." A voice sounded behind him, which caused Sauske to turn back and gasp a little in surprise. "We have fought . . . once before, Brick-boy. I wish . . . to fight you again . . . here and now."

"Look. Can this wit until tomorrow? I already have plans this afternoon, but I can . . ." Sauske was cut off by the Chinese girl.

"NO!" Aki shouted, clutching at the bundle behind her back. "It has . . . to be right now."

Sauske watched her. She was wearing a tight, sleeveless red shirt, similar to the one his father always wore, that fit the contours of her body perfectly. She wore long, black pants that were loose everywhere but her ankles and waist, where a belt locked the waistband tightly along the space just above her hips. She had pulled the bandanna from her hair, but a small piece of blue string, tied just behind the black streaks in her hair by her ears, kept the separation between the hair on her head and the long blue trail that flowed down her back. Her two blue bandannas, tied to her arms between her elbow and shoulder, however, were still there.

Aki pulled the bundle out in front of herself, watching Sauske carefully. He was still wearing his school uniform, and his school bag hung limply from his shoulder. His black hair was still an absolute mess, like yesterday, when she last saw him, waved slightly in the breeze. Pulling the cloth back, she revealed the contents of the bundle.

Sauske's eyes grew wide.

- - -

Keira smiled as the food simmered on the grill. It faded, however, when she looked up to the doorway as it opened. Not Sauske again. She sighed audibly, which brought her mother's eyes up. "Maybe he's not coming." Keira mumbled to herself.

Ukyo sighed, scooting a little closer to her daughter to speak clearly to her without being overheard in the slightly crowded restaurant. "Keira, if I know anything about the Saotomes, it's that they love okonomiyaki. And you make some of the best." She smiled to her, an all-knowing smile. "Besides, I know teenage boys. They love food too. Trust me, Sauske will be here, hon'."

Keira smiled, and was about to respond, when they heard a crash from outside. "What was that?!" Keira asked immediately, to which her mother shook her head.

"Probably that stupid raccoon I saw a few days ago again. Let me get my flashlight, and we'll go check it out." Ukyo replied, running into the washroom, and returning with a large flashlight. Clicking it on and off to make sure it worked, the mother-daughter team raced outside and into the alley about twenty feet down the block. That's where most of the businesses on this street dropped their trash, so lots of animals got in there. Ukyo's, and the other business owners, rule was you hear it, you go fix it.

The two slid to a stop in front of the alley, and Ukyo clicked on the flashlight. Two trash cans had been overturned, and most of the garbage had spilled out. Ukyo looked around the alleyway, until a pair of eyes appeared in the light.

- - -

Naruto stared back into the light from the street, his thin blond whiskers twitching nervously under his nose. He stared for a moment, when a voice spoke up. "Naruto?!"

It was a familiar voice, female, older . . . "Kuonji-san?" Naruto asked, trying to see through the bright light. "Is that you?"

"Naruto! What the hell are you doing to the garbage?!" Ukyo shouted. Keira nodded in assent.

"I . . . I saw Sauske talking to some girl when I was following him. She stuffed some note in his hand, telling him to meet him there in five minutes, and walked off. Sauske read it, crumpled it up, said something about coming back when he finished whatever he had to take care of, then threw the note in here. I was just trying to find it." Naruto explained.

"Some girl?" Keira asked quietly, a twinge of jealousy in her voice.

Ukyo, however, was much louder. "So, you dump all the trash on the ground?!" Naruto shook his head.

"That's not it at all. It spilled itself!"

"Spilled itself?!" Ukyo shouted back, a vein beginning to appear on her forehead, her free hand clenching into a fist.

As they began arguing, Keira noticed a crumpled, white ball of paper at her feet. Picking it up, she opened it up, and began to read it. She had to force herself to breathe by the end. "A challenge?!" she murmured to herself. "With some girl?" Something about this bothered Keira. She would have to investigate.

When she suddenly ran back into the house, Ukyo and Naruto stopped arguing. They were both about to follow, when Ukyo turned back to him. "Stay here!"

Ukyo walked back through the door, picking up a familiar tool resting by the door, when Keira came racing down the stairs from the small apartment area upstairs. The woman blinked at her daughter, already changed. Keira had on her black jogging undershirt, her dark-blue shinobi pants, and her black forearm liner on her left arm. The girl was also carrying several kunai, her sword, her shuriken pouch, and the bracer that she had just designed.

"Hey, Keira, what's going on?!" Ukyo shouted after her daughter as she ran out he door.

"I'm going to check on Sauske-kun! Be back later!" Keira shouted already racing down the street.

Ukyo walked back out, walking back to the alleyway. "What about your okonomiyaki?!"

"Give it to Naruto!"

Naruto suddenly perked up, smiling hungrily. He loved Keira's cooking! Nothing was more delicious than food from her! He walked towards the restaurant, when a large spatula appeared in front of him.

Ukyo, pointing her famous combat spatula in front of Naruto, shook her head. "You eat when the garbage is picked up."

- - -

Sauske was worried now. Aki was holding a large Chinese great sword in front of her, held in a larger leather sheath. It would make a katana seem like a toothpick. It was a good four and a half feet long, at least three times as wide as a samurai sword, and when Aki pulled it out of the sheath, even from thirty feet away, he could see the polished, and extremely sharp, sword. The edge was perfectly even, with no nicks or discoloration. The sword looked to be brand new, exceptionally made, and sharpened just before using.

Aki finished pulling the double-edged sword out, before tossing the scabbard away and behind her. Hefting the blade up, she spun it around in her hand, before making several clean, quick slashes with the blade to warm up. It had been a while since she had used this, so Aki felt a bit rusty.

Sauske felt himself sweat just a little bit. Sure, Sakura was much better handling a katana than Aki was swinging that sword, but the sword was so much bigger. And Aki was swinging it like a toy.

He was in trouble.

Next Chapter: Double trouble begins, as two Saotome's battle for their future against a pair of swords.

* * *

Well, that's the end of chapter twelve. I feel a lot better about this one than my last few, and I made it a bit long because there was a lot to get through. Well, a lot longer. Some of it is a bit rushed, I think, but I'm pretty sure it turned out well.

Anyway, on with the reviews:

The Liz: Good, I'm glad I redid the lynx scene. As for the curses, Naruto will appear eventually, and Sakura will be soon. I haven't figured out yet. But other characters are coming up.

White Fox 612: I'm glad you like it. Kuno and Kodachi will be back soon too.

Thanks for the reviews, see you next time.

* * *

_Tendo Nabiki:_

Age: 40

Occupation: Financial Consultant

Strength: 1

Stamina: 1

Speed: 1

Ki: 1

Aura: 1

Special Techniques: 0

(Note: Nabiki does not actively practice any martial arts.)

Nabiki is the most mobile person of the original cast of _Ranma ½_, ending up in another country for several years, and still travels to other countries. She has changed little about her appearance, keeping her short brown hair the same length and color since the beginning. She still has the same body proportions as well, having gotten through her growth before Ranma first arrived.

She has, however, grown in the sense of family. Once Akane and Ranma's engagement was consummated in marriage, Nabiki began to let off on the blackmailing of both of them, and soon most others. She was happy for them; then again, to say she was jealous would be the greatest understatement of the year. To see Akane marry Ranma, and Kasumi and Dr. Tofu marry soon after, drove her absolutely insane. Then Kasumi got pregnant, and two years later Akane got pregnant, and Nabiki was already feeling left out and alone. It was after Ukyo and Konatsu tied the knot that things began to change.

During this time, Nabiki had recently finished college, receiving a degree in business and economics. She had already started her one woman investing firm, which had made tremendous growth in the few years since its official creation. It was during this time that a large investing firm in the United States, located in New York City, NY, became interested in her, especially when at least half of their dealings with small businesses in Tokyo was influenced by her. A meeting was set up between her and one of their representatives in order to discuss some opportunities the two parties could offer the other.

Nabiki, planning on making good of this new possibility, was happy to meet the representative, an American, one of the family members of the founder Jonathan Reynolds, named Brandon Reynolds. Sensing opportunity, she brought up the idea of taking one of the lucrative positions in the company here in Japan, and to get more time to discuss this, met Brandon for dinner the next night. To make a long story short, Nabiki had an enjoyable date and got a nice job in Japan. It earned her plenty to keep her satisfied, help out any family in trouble, and pay off lingering debts caused by the Nerima Wrecking Crew.

That, however, was not the end of dealings with Brandon. Since the company required several trips to New York, the two spent several weeks working together over the first year. And spent their vacations visit the other. While Nabiki fended off the now prying eyes of her younger sister and brother in law, working through two jobs, and helping take care of her niece and new nephew, she continued spending as much time she could get with Brandon. Long story short again, they were soon engaged, and quickly married.

Presented with a tough decision, Nabiki transferred to the New York branch, closed down much of her investing business, and moved with her new husband to New York City. Moving into a nice apartment in the center of the city, Nabiki began a thoroughly enjoyable life. It was difficult learning to live in a foreign country, but she was happy.

Soon, she had her first child, a son named Joseph, which brought much of her family to America for the first time in their lives (Dr. Tofu had been to California once before), and it was only a few months later when the roles reversed. Nabiki, Brandon, and Joseph went to visit her family on a special trip when Auska was born, and after a few months, the pattern repeated itself when Nabiki gave birth to her daughter, Amy.

Life was different for several years, since Nabiki was only able to see her family usually once or twice a year, she was living in another country in the middle of the largest city, and was now a wife and mother. But her kids gave her plenty to do, watching over them as they grew. She was happy to see she had two smart, loving children. There were problems with Joseph, but he nowhere near as bad as they are now. It was when Joseph was ten and Amy was eight that another big change occurred.

Due to some shifts in the company, Nabiki and Brandon were asked, although it was like they were almost ordered, to transfer to the Japanese branch, set in Tokyo. She wanted to go back, be with her family, who were going through some problems, but she didn't want to leave New York and drag everyone away with her. After a long discussion, having to decide between going on almost constant trips and having much less time together with each other and their children or uproot and move to Japan, Nabiki and Brandon finally settled on returning back to Japan. And after some remodeling and adding several more rooms to Ranma and Akane's home, they moved into Nabiki's old house.

Japan was not full of happiness either. Joseph began to drop in school, Amy was pretty cheerless for a while having left all her friends behind, and the work was much more constant in Japan than in America. But, after four years, everything has improved. Amy has made new friends, and constantly writes her old friends. Brandon has gotten used to living in Japan. The work has become more manageable, with a few business trips here and there. The four often go on trips to meet with Brandon's family and old friends in New York City. Joseph is the only problem still left, as Nabiki and her son often get into calm arguments over all sorts of things.

All in all, Nabiki has gone through much to end up back where she started. She went between New York City and Tokyo, before ending up in the very same house she lived in as a child. She's still around watching over her younger sister. And she's still babysitting someone who can't ever get along with her, has problems at school, and can annoy the hell out of almost any human being. But this time, instead of never trying, Nabiki is never going to give up on him.


	13. Iaijutsu

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma 1/2_, nor claim to.

Chapter Thirteen: Iaijustsu (_Speed Draw_)

"You say, 'Why does everything I do confound you?' You say that I pulled the world from under you, you can't go through it this time." Barenaked Ladies: _Too Little Too Late_

"Dammit! Where is he?!" Keira shouted to herself as she raced into the abandoned lot. Looking around, there was nobody here. "Sauske-kun, where are you?!" Sighing, she dropped the bracer and kunai, using this short break to get her equipment on. First, she placed her shuriken pouch onto her belt next to her right hip, and slid her sword into the belt as well, snugly fitting behind her back. She slid it out a little of the sword to make sure it would slide easily, then snapped it back into place.

Picking up the bracer, she slid it over her left arm, before locking it down in place. Adjusting the cloth, put there to keep it from chafing her skin and sliding around, she fiddled with the small loop which crossed between her thumb and fingers, covering the center of her palm. Once she felt it was secure, she grabbed the kunai from the ground.

One at a time, starting at the small set of holes at the bottom of the bracer, near her elbow, she slid the ring end of each kunai into the space perpendicular to her arm. Once in, she pulled it back, turning the point towards her elbow. There was a loud click as the kunai was locked into place. This was repeated until all seven of the kunai were in place.

Keira sighed. Now she was really ready. But this was still an empty lot. Where was Sauske?

Reaching down, she pulled the note from her pocket, reading the address again. "Am I at the right spot?" she asked openly to the empty field. "Okay, I'm at . . . wait a second! That's not a nine! That's a four! Shoot, that's at least halfway across the district!" Suddenly, the rest of the letter came to mind, and Keira folded the note, placing it in her pocket.

She took a deep breath, then sprinted off for her new destination at full speed. "Hang on, Sauske-kun! I'll be there soon!"

- - -

Sauske watched Aki carefully. She carried her blade around in front of herself, placing the tip down into the ground. Sliding her hand out, holding the sword at arms length, Aki refocused her eyes on him, and they never wavered after that.

"Brick-boy!" Aki said loudly after a moment's pause. "The time has come! . . . We are going to settle . . . everything that has happened right now!"

Sauske eyed her suspiciously. He shook any fear out of his mind. His father had taught him all kinds of ways to battle people with weapons. Swords were the first ones he had ever learned. The fact that the opponent was very good with swords meant rule one would be most important: Separate the swordsman from his or her sword.

Aki watched as Sauske slid into a fighting stance, his hands up near his face, clenched loosely into fists. Aki smiled, pulling the blade out of the dirt. Grasping the handle tightly, she turned the blade around behind her, readying the sword for a slash.

- - -

Sakura had a plan. There was one way she was sure she could pull a victory out with. It wasn't necessarily the neatest plan, but it could work. Everyone had been talking about her joining Kendo club, but also how she had only been using a sword seriously for what, five months? Hopefully her opponent thought she was inexperienced. Sakura smiled, because she knew she wasn't.

"GO!" the coach shouted, holding up the thumbs up sign. Sakura immediately bolted forward, trying to cross the distance between her and her opponent as quickly as possible. Her sword was swept back to one side, to look like an obvious slash attack. The other kendoist obviously flinched at such a brazen charge, expecting a bit more controlled assault. Which put him in a very dangerous position.

Sakura had already crossed the distance between them, and struck immediately. Turning her sword forward, the point shot around to change her attack form. Immediately, she thrusted the sword forward, rising up from her hip, straight towards her opponent's head.

He saw the strike changed, but already off balance from her charge. Moving quickly, he swung his sword around, deflecting the sword up and over his head, instead of into it, as his own sword tossed across his body, uselessly hanging aside. He almost just gave up then, having put Sakura in the perfect position.

Sakura smiled. Everything was going perfect. Her sword, while deflected away from her thrust, simply dropped straight down, crushing onto her opponent's head. He buckled a bit under the force Sakura put behind it. Maybe she did hit a bit hard, but that wasn't important.

"STOP! Point to the challenger!" the coach shouted, and immediately, the two combatants separated, walking back to their original positions.

The girl leaned over to him. "Well, she seems aggressive." The man nodded. "What should we do?" He only smiled.

As the two reached their spot again, the coach turned to Sakura. "Are you ready, challenger?" Sakura nodded. The man turned to her opponent. "Are you ready, champion?" he said with an over-eager wink.

The champion looked over, noticing the signal, even from the hundred-foot distance or so. He took a deep breath, readying himself, then nodded almost to the point of a bow. Then, he raised his sword up, clenching the handle tightly. Time for the real thing.

"I see." The girl replied, making a few notes on her clipboard, and checking some boxes. "Hopefully she'll last long enough to show some real strength."

"You underestimate Sakura, Yanagi. The Saotomes are a very powerful martial arts family, as are the Tendos, and the two families have merged to make her. Sakura has also trained under her father, one of the best martial artists out there. She is not a great swordsman, but she does have a great ability to fight. That will give her an edge."

"So, I take it you think she's going to win this?" Yanagi asked with a slight hint of disbelief in her voice.

"No. Not a chance." The coach replied, before thrusting out the thumbs up sign. "GO!"

- - -

Sauske ducked as the sword swung over his head. Unfortunately, he forgot to keep watching Aki.

"HIYAH!" Aki shouted, kicking her foot up, smacking Sauske in the face as her sword passed over him, her blue aura flowing all around. The boy tumbled back several feet, before crumpling to the ground. Sauske groaned slightly, lying flat on the ground. When her arms slowed the sword down, she swung the sword back to her right side, holding it up for a powerful chop down.

Sauske placed his hands on the ground, pushing himself up. He rubbed his chin, trying to dull the pain, but he stayed siting on the ground.

Aki, seeing her chance was now, let her aura burst go. A huge swarm of blue light surrounded everywhere around her, easily filling most of the field, and she raced forward. The boosted strength and speed would make this plan perfect. Charge him while he's down, and use the sword to force him to give up. Forcing a blade to his throat would be sure to secure victory.

Sauske held his breath as the aura of the Chinese girl spread. He focused as well as he could, planning to roll aside right before she swung. It would plant the blade into the ground, and then he could toss her aside, and throw the weapon away. And, it would keep him safe from the sharp edge.

"THIS IS THE END!" Aki screamed in a battle cry, reading herself to stop the blade, only feet away. When the time was right, she threw all her strength in, swinging the blade down at Sauske.

CHINGG-GG-GG! DSSSSHhhhhhhh! Sauske involuntarily gasped as the ringing of metal on metal sounded over the battle cry, followed by the shifting of dirt as something slid across the ground. He looked up, and stared in awe at the scene. The only other sound, as the other sounds faded away, was an extremely heavy breathing.

A labored voice spoke up, with a tone of absolute hatred behind it. "What the hell are you doing to Sauske-kun?!"

- - -

Sakura heard the word "Go", and so she charged again. Her opponent did not shrink at this attack, however. But, that should be expected, since it is rare that someone is fooled twice. Even so, she pulled the sword back to her hip, readying for a quick thrust attack.

The distance was soon covered, and Sakura shot her sword forward, aiming for the middle of her opponent's chest. He was ready this time, and he would not let himself make another mistake.

Sliding his left foot behind him, the swordsman twisted his body ninety degrees, shifting his body out of the way of Sakura's attack. The sword was now in front of his stomach, several inches away. The girl immediately tried another attack, slashing towards him with her sword, only to be blocked as he slid his sword down to stop it. There, they held that position, the man holding Sakura's sword a bay inches from its target. Then, he made **his** attack.

Sliding his left foot back to where it was before, he put all his strength behind his sword, shoving it away and to his left. Sakura wasn't prepared, and so her sword swung out wide to her side. The swordsman quietly watched her, before swinging his sword up and at her.

The sword impacted onto the side of Sakura's face, knocking her head around several times inside the helmet. The blow knocked her body away, and she stumbled back several steps, as the sword of her opponent followed through and slowed to a stop on the other side of his body. Sakura continued to stumble, before coming to a stop, collecting herself.

"STOP!" The coach shouted. "Point to the champion!" After Sakura glared at her opponent for a moment, they nodded, and walked back to their original positions.

"That wasn't very good." Yanagi said quietly to the coach. "She seemed very capable before, but now, most of the other candidates would easily have escaped that."

"You're underestimating the Saotome clan again, Yanagi." The coach said, smiling. "When the chips are down, at least from what I've heard, they can come back in a split second. I'm sure Sakura has more behind her than we've seen so far." He turned towards Sakura. "Challenger, are you ready?!" Sakura nodded, and so the coach turned back to her opponent. "Champion, are you ready?!" He nodded as well.

"Underestimating her, hmm?" Yanagi said quietly, watching Sakura carefully. "We'll see, sensei."

"Just watch." The coach replied, before throwing out his thumbs-up sign. "GO!"

- - -

Keira gasped for breaths as she struggled to hold her arms up. The sword was easy to handle, since she had used this very one since she was eight. Her right hand held the handgrip of the ninja-to, while her left hand was placed against the backside of the blade. The sword was arced over her head, and her arms were buckling under the weight. Her left leg was slid far back, and both knees were bent to give her body more support. With each breath, her whole body shuddered.

Her head was turned up, however, staring across the way, past her sword, to her opponent. Her eyes were alight with flame, a look of pure rage flowing through her face. Her teeth were clenched, and a faint, but quickly glowing, red glow could be seen exuding from her entire body.

"Answer the question!" Keira shouted again, her body still under the stress of holding back this attacker's sword.

"Who are you?" Aki asked calmly, without letting up on her weight on her sword. She needed to keep the girl there. Whoever this brown-haired girl was, she had suddenly appeared in front of her and stopped her sword. That may not have been much of a feat, since she was already slowing it to begin with, but the look of anger in the girl's eyes, and the growing battle aura told her not to take chances. Aki would work to be sure the girl would not move without destroying her chances at winning any fight.

"Me?" Keira said with a sarcastic sweetness. "I'm Sauske's best friend, Kuonji Keira." There was a small tap when Sauske jumped back onto his feet. "And if you even thin about hurting Sauske-kun again, I'm going to wh – AAAAAAHHH!" Keira screamed at the unknown as she was pulled away. Aki, not expecting it either, let the sword drop into the ground.

"Shhh! Keira, it's okay." Sauske said quietly into her ear as he landed several feet back, his hands gently carrying the girl by her waist.

"S-Sauske-kun?" Keira asked, looking up at him over her shoulder. The bright red glow faded, then dispersed completely. "Are you all right?" Her voice was much calmer now, but her look of rage was now replaced with worry.

"I'm fine, Keira, but I need you to do something for me." Sauske continued, watching Aki stare at them from across the short distance they had jumped.

"What is it, Sauske-kun?" She asked immediately, letting her hands lower down and the sword tip touch the ground.

"I need you to stay out of this fight." Sauske said quickly and sternly, his eyes still focused on Aki. "I can explain later, but you can't attack Aki no matter what happens."

"But . . ."

"No buts." Sauske said, releasing her and stepping around and in front. "I need to do this on my own."

Keira stared at the back of her best friend's head. Slowly, she sighed deeply. "All right, Sauske-kun. I won't get in your way." She lifted her sword from the ground, swung the tip behind her back, and slammed it back into the sheath with one quick shove.

Aki stared at them, surprised. _"He is like a tranquilizer for her. I have never seen someone so calm so quickly."_ Aki muttered to herself, watching the two talk. Then, she shook her head before raising her sword back up into a ready stance. "Ready **now**, Brick-boy?" Aki said slowly, staring at him.

Sauske did not say anything; instead, he simply nodded and raised his hands up.

- - -

_"Where is it?" _Mousse said angrily, looking around the small toolbench they had set up in the main area. There was still plastic over the floor, and several tables waiting to be finished, along with exposed studs and insulation in certain parts of the walls, but it was finally starting to look like a real restaurant.

His youngest daughter glanced up over the window of the kitchen_. "Oh, Pai, have you seen the grinder around here?"_ She thought for a moment, then shook her head, and disappeared into the kitchen again. _"Grr, where is it?!"_

_"Aki was using it yesterday, I think, and she left it in the corner over there."_ A boy approximately Aki's height replied, waving his hand over towards another part of the room while carrying some more boards out through the back door to cut.

Mousse glanced over to where his son had pointed, before walking slowly in that direction. Picking through the pile of things and holding them up to see them clearer, eventually he found what he was looking for. _"Found it!"_ Then, he paused_. "Why did Aki need it?"_

_"Something about fixing up her sword."_ The boy replied just as he disappeared out the door.

_"Meuze, there is no time. We have to get going."_ Shampoo said loudly, walking in quickly.

Mousse looked up, surprised_. "Going? I thought we were meeting them in a half an hour, Xiang Pu?"_

_"Yes, but we need to make some other stops first."_

Mousse sighed, and walked towards the stairs to the apartment they had above their restaurant to change into his regular robes.

- - -

Sauske waited as Aki bolted towards him. When she reached him, Aki slashed her sword across at his gut with serious strength, but Sauske hopped back in time to let the blade glide past without touching him.

Aki hopped forward as well, letting the power behind the sword swing turn her body faster. Once her back was to Sauske, she swung out her left foot, the spinning throwing it out towards the boy's head.

The boy ducked underneath the back spin kick, only to see Aki now in position to use her sword again. She swung the sword down again, aiming for the crouched boy, when his spun his back around. Sauske knew it would be doubtful to avoid a slash from this range, so his spin would at least lessen the blow and let him escape easier. Arching his chest out, he made an opening in his personal space to allow the sword to swing by harmlessly.

There was a light pressure on his school bag, but otherwise Sauske was unharmed. Feeling ready to move again, he dove forward, rolling forward across the ground to safety. Once he stopped, he turned around again, facing Aki, snapping his hands back into position.

"Sauske-kun! Are you okay?!" Keira shouted from a short distance outside the fight.

"Fine!" Sauske replied, never taking his eyes off Aki. Aki repositioned her sword, readying for another thrust attack, but waiting for Sauske to make the first move.

Sauske took a deep breath, before dashing forward. His eyes trailed from Aki to the sword, and never left. Aki began running towards him as well, gripping the sword tighter than ever. Once he was in range, She thrust her sword out, when the boy dropped down to the ground. Spinning on the ground, Sauske slid underneath the sword, back to the girl. Once he reached her, he stood up suddenly, accidentally hitting Aki in the chin with the top of his head.

Slipping his hands forward, he wrapped his fingers around the sword hilt, holding on to the small crosspiece. Then, he threw his body backwards, and shoved his hands forward, pushing the girl and the sword apart. After a moment of struggle, Aki was forced to let go, and Sauske slipped between the space in her hands. The girl stumbled backwards a few steps.

Sauske stepped forward a bit, and tossed the sword away. It bounced along the ground for a moment, then fell onto the ground and coasted to a stop on the grass. Sauske breathed a sigh of relief, hearing Aki approach from behind. "All right," Sauske began, turning around, "what is this about . . . AKK!"

Sauske grunted as Aki punched him in the face, right hand to left cheek. He grunted again as she repeated the punch with her left hand onto his right cheek, and finished with a roundhouse onto the left side of his neck. Sauske flopped down several feet back, collapsing into a heap.

Aki walked slowly to her sword, as Sauske leaned himself up from the ground. "We are fighting . . . If you don't already know why . . . it is too late. Now, . . . fight me!"

- - -

Nabiki sighed as the sound of a bus roaring down the road rumbled outside. "What time is it?" she thought to herself, looking up at the clock. "Wow." She muttered to herself, before looking up to her sister, sitting at the other end of the table, reading some martial arts book. "Hey, Akane, where is everyone? Shouldn't some of them be home by now?"

Akane shook her head. "No, Sakura is at Kendo tryouts right now, so she's going to be home late, and Sauske is meeting Keira at Ucchan's today. And the bus for Auska, Amy, and Joseph doesn't . . ." Akane looked up at the clock as well, and blinked, ". . . just passed by. Huh, that's odd." Akane finished, her voice softening.

"What's odd?" Nabiki replied with a calm voice.

Akane shrugged. "It's just that they're usually home by now. Oh well, it's probably nothing." Akane heard the phone start ringing. Standing up, she walked to the phone calmly. Picking it up, she placed the receiver to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hi, Mommy!"

"Hello, Auska. Where are you?"

"Oh, um, well, me, Amy, and Joseph are all at Uncle Ono's clinic, and he said we should call ya'."

"Something wrong?"

"Well, Amy had a really bad asthma attack durin' school, and after we got off the bus, Joseph said we should see him before we went home, so we're all here now."

"Oh, my." Akane said out of a force of habit. "Is she all right?"

"Akane? Something wrong?" Nabiki asked, looking up from the table, holding her calm appearance.

"Yeah, she's fine. Uncle Ono said she should take it easy for the rest of the day, but she'll be fine. We're just goin' to be back a little late, though."

"All right, that's fine." Akane replied. "Stay together, though."

"Yeah, we will. Bye!"

"Bye, Auska." Akane listened to the click as her daughter hung up the phone, then hung up the phone on her end, and returned to the table.

"Akane, what's going on with Auska?" Nabiki asked, again with her straight face.

Akane sighed, returning to her book. "Amy had another asthma attack at school, and so when school was over, the three of them went to see Ono. They're going to be back soon."

"Oh, okay." Nabiki replied, and returned to her empty, bland daydream as best she could. It was much tougher that it sounded.

- - -

Sakura spun rapidly as she slid past him. Swinging her sword out as she went, there was a very satisfying CRACK! as she struck him in the back. "STOP! Point to the challenger!"

Sakura stood up proudly, as the score was now 2-1 in her favor. One more point and she would win. She returned calmly to her position, and spun back to face her opponent. The kendo club member did the same.

The coach smiled, glancing between them. "Challenger, are you ready?" She nodded. "Champion, are you ready?" He nodded. Smiling wider, he swung out his hand in a thumbs-up sign. "GO!"

The two combatants charged, clanging their swords together on the first blow. Yanagi sighed. "I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it."

"What is it?" the coach asked.

"Sakura is . . . amazing to keep up for so long, after five months of practice with a sword. Doesn't that seem a bit odd? After all, he's been training . . ."

The coach cut her off. "Yes, it is amazing. But, the fight is not over. He can still win."

"The score is two to one, obviously Sakura's the new favorite."

"He's got plenty of tricks left, trust me. You ought to know to never doubt him, all the time you've spent at these. Sakura is quite good, but nowhere near his caliber yet." The coach smiled, running his hand through his black hair. "What did score her as so far?"

Yanagi glanced down at her clipboard, while occasionally turning back to the fight. "Speed five, offensive technique four, defensive technique three, power three, and stamina four. Should I go on?"

"No, I think that's enough for now. But put offensive technique two and defensive two."

The girl looked up at him. "Why would I do that? Her strikes are pretty close to hitting most every time, and she has blocked a lot of attacks."

"Yes, but that's not the reason. Her strikes are getting close because they're much faster than almost everyone else on the team. There's no real skill to them beyond the basics. It makes sense that great speed can make up for poor technique, right?"

"Well, yes, that makes sense."

"Then how did he just hit her," CRACK! "the same way she hit him less than a minute ago? If she was good enough to attack him and strike him, how come she missed the same strike returned back on herself?"

Sakura grimaced under her mask. How did she miss that? He had just suddenly slid out of view, dropped past her side, and slammed his sword right into her back. "Whoever this is, he knows some good moves." She thought to herself. "Wait a second, that was **my** attack! How did he do that?! I didn't even see it coming!"

As Sakura and her opponent retreated to their positions, the coach glanced down at Yanagi. "Hey, why don't we liven things up a bit?"

Yanagi glanced up at him with wide eyes. "Are you sure that's a good idea to let him have full freedom again? It might be too much for her."

"It's more for her than him." The coach looked up at Sakura. "She's got some aura, she tells me, and I think we already know what the decision is. Might as well take a break."

Yanagi sighed. "Do you think we should?"

The coach smiled, without turning away from Sakura. "Why not. Go get some spare swords." Yanagi scuttled off, walking towards a nearby closet labeled "EQUIPMENT" on the door. The coach smiled wider. "Both of you, I have an idea for this last round."

The two fully dressed kendoists looked at him expectantly. "What is it?" Sakura asked.

"Well, since the score is tied, we thought it might be interesting to let some of the rules lax. Like, for instance, dropping the rule on special attacks."

If the coach could have seen Sakura's eyes, he would have found them sparkling. "R-really?!" she said happily. "YES! I can use my aura!" She thought proudly, clutching her sword.

The coach noticed Sakura's opponent looking over at him expectantly. The coach simply nodded back. "So, the rules are as such. The only targets are still the arms, head, or torso. Hits must be scored by the sword which you wield. Should it break, we have spares. Combat does not end until I call stop and declare a winner. First strike wins. The ring size is now expanded to the entire gym, except for the area in which Yanagi and I stand. Any questions?"

Sakura clutched the sword tighter. She was going to win! "Nope, not at all!"

Her opponent simply shook his head.

The coach smiled. "Ready?" he swung out his hand in a thumbs up sign as Yanagi stepped up next to him, holding a pile of swords in her arms, along with her clipboard. "GO!"

- - -

Sauske ducked and rolled around again, continuing to dodge the relentless assault by Aki. It seemed, though, with every successful dodge, her flurry of blows grew. Each escape simply drove her on further. Her blue aura had faded again into a deep, piercing red.

Sauske loosened the strap of his bag on his left shoulder, before sliding the bag into his right hand. "Enough!" he shouted, throwing the bag straight for Aki. With a quick strike, Aki knocked the bag sideways and away with the blade of the sword, before it bounced harmlessly on the ground and stopped. Aki then lifted the sword overhead as they came close together again.

Nearly tripping over a loose rock, Sauske saw the sword coming down to crash onto him. "SAUSKE-KUN!" Keira shouted from the sidelines. His attention was diverted long enough to see Keira throw something his way. Reaching out, he grabbed the object, and swung it up.

CHINGG! The greatsword crashed down onto the small kunai, but Sauske stood firm under the pressure of Aki's attack. Barely able to fit his two hands onto the handle, Sauske began to push back. Finding some serious leverage, Sauske suddenly put all his strength behind the shove, and pushed the blade up and over his head.

The kunai headed straight for the ground when Sauske dropped it, rushing in to fill the space just in front of the Chinese amazon. Grabbing her two arms by the wrist, the boy quickly turned them both out, causing her to drop the sword onto the ground behind him.

Aki gasped, not in pain, but in the feeling of her sword falling free of her grasp. She tried to escape from Sauske's hold, but he quickly snapped her arms down to her side.

The boy did not hesitate. Stepping forward again, he wrapped his arms around her a little above the waist, before weaving his fingers together. Tightening his grip around her body, his arms passing over hers between the elbow and wrist, he effectively locked the girl's arms at her side. Hopping slightly, he placed his feet roughly on top of hers, holding them down. Then, Sauske dragged her body up to him as close as possible, placing his face on the left side of hers, so that each could only see over the other's back.

The "Hug Lock" was complete, and Aki was all but completely helpless.

Sauske tightened his grip. "All right. Now tell me what this is about!"

Next Chapter: Aki's revelation, and Sakura's discovery!

* * *

Well, that's the end of that chapter. I hope everyone is enjoying this story, because I'm enjoying writing it. If anyone out there knows what the real names of Shampoo and Mousse are, I would really like to know ("Xiang Pu" and "Meuze" are just guesses, but I'm pretty sure they are close.). Anyway, on with the reviews:

The Liz: Wait, there's more swordfighting to come. (By the way, Shampoo did have a sword while she was chasing Ranma and Genma too) As for the possibility of a Kuno . . . I'm keeping my mouth firmly shut.

Sleepingbear: Yes, Brandon is a bit of a jerk, but he's a nice jerk.

Unknown: I know its confusing so far, but things are going to start making sense soon, I promise. As for Sauske, there are a few reasons it's spelled the way it is. 1. It's different from Sasuke (some people do watch the anime, even if I don't, so I wanted to make the name look different) and 2. So it's pronounced correctly (same with Asuka being spelled Auska)

* * *

_Reynolds Brandon _

Age: 41

Occupation: Financial Consultant

Strength: 1

Stamina: 1

Speed: 1

Ki: 1

Aura: 0

Special Techniques: 0

(Note: Brandon has never practiced any specific form of martial arts.)

Brandon, having arrived after the original story of Ranma ended, remains a bit separated from the past. His first appearance in the lives of Ranma, Akane, and Nabiki especially, did not happen until after Akane had become pregnant with Sauske. That one visit was his first to Japan, and, obviously, it was one he would never forget.

Brandon's story begins back in New York City, where he lived most of his life with his family, which consisted of himself, his father, his stepmother, and his stepsister. (His mother died of complications at childbirth, so he never knew her) They were quite well off, and actually even more so as his uncle and father's co-owned investing firm began to take off. Fortunately for him, his parents had done what few rich families do: put a lot of pressure on their children to do work for themselves and earn their own money. It put a lot of responsibility into Brandon, which would be what carried him on.

Then again, that meant Brandon had to earn his own money most of the time. It wasn't until he was fifteen that he came up with an idea, and it was one he had been using since he was a kid. His family and his friends loved card games. So, Brandon became an exceptional poker player. Of course, US law prohibits minors gambling, but one fake ID later, the "eighteen year old Christopher Walkins" became a real poker player.

His parents caught him once, when he was seventeen, and they really tore him out about it. So, he gave up on playing for five months, until his eighteenth birthday, and then he began playing again with his parents blessing. So, while he attended college in business, he paid for at least half his tuition through his card habit. He was good enough to risk the money, and at least three times out of four he came left with over three times what he brought. He did have days walking home broke, and he did make his share of mistakes gambling, but he knew what he was doing.

He did play professional poker a few times, winning first in a regional tournament, first in a state tournament, and seventh in a national tournament, under the same fake name "Christopher Walkins". He liked obscurity; it helped keep intimidation down at the real casinos when he used his real name. But he never planned to make a life of it. It wasn't secure enough for him. He was never going to stop playing, but he would find something much more suitable for long term.

Which is why he was immediately hired by his family business, to a quiet lucrative position. It wasn't just family that got him the job, however. He had a high honors degree for business and economics behind him. That, and his poker playing had given him some useful talents for a negotiator. He could keep a straight face through anything (rumor is he only smiled once while watching Jerry Seinfeld's comedy act), whether it was good or bad. It wasn't that he was emotionless, it was just he could control his face whenever he wanted. Which, nowadays, he only does to further prolong the humor of the situation, or at work.

Another one of his talents was risk assessment. He could weigh out most situations, picking where everything would end up, with amazing accuracy. For cards, it meant he knew exactly when to fold and when he could raise based on **his** cards. In the financial world, it meant the same thing: when to invest, and when to back away. The one thing he couldn't do, however, was read others, which is one of the reasons he gave up on a professional poker career. He only ever really knew what he had, and everyone else was as mysterious as he was when he gave his emotionless little smirk.

But his life was not dominated by work, as much of his family would attest to. Brandon loved practical jokes, and had learned how to do them in a way that left very few people angry with him. Most everyone would just glare for a moment, and then burst out laughing. Almost nobody has been safe from this constant barrage, and only because he was married to her, and she helped out on almost every one of his pranks since they met. Nabiki has been very willing to pull tricks on others, including her family and his, and having an accomplice meant people would could be more forgiving, since it had been doubly approved as non-offensive

As for the story of how they met, Brandon was assigned to meet with Nabiki as a representative of the family business, which had grown to a large corporation by that time. After researching about her to know what he had been put into, he felt ready to meet with her. And so, he headed to Japan with three months of intensive Japanese language training, a thick file on Nabiki, and some financial files to speak with her about. He was quite impressed with her when they met, since she had been able to trim the files about a good ten thousand dollars in the ten minutes they were waiting for the food to arrive at lunch.

To skip over much of the story, the relationship blossomed beyond a simple business partnership, and began to grow into something much more serious. They spent their vacations visiting each other, and as Ranma and Akane prodded Nabiki about her relationship, Brandon's stepsister and friends prodded him twice as much. With approval from both families (enthusiastic approval, especially from the Tendo side), the two were married.

When they finally agreed to live in New York, each saying they should stay in the other's hometown, Brandon did his best helping Nabiki adjust to America, and they both helped each other get used to being a family. After all, they were, like every other couple from Nerima, still very young (Brandon was 24, Nabiki was 23). To help her with being completely out of Japan, Brandon continued learning Japanese, and, of course, the decided to spend all of their vacations visiting her family in Japan, since Brandon could see almost all of his family everyday.

When Joseph and Amy were born, both he and Nabiki agreed to raise them right, teaching responsibility as best they could and in the same way Brandon was raised. Their children were very bright, and did well in school, both with plenty of friends for support. Even though work was a big part of their lives, both Nabiki and Brandon made sure to spend all the time they could with their family, and each other. Except for Amy's asthma and Joseph's occasional discipline problems, Brandon couldn't have wished for a better family.

Which, obviously, was why it didn't last forever. When the openings in Japan came up, Brandon and Nabiki were assigned it. Since it was approved before the two of them even heard about it, which was done on purpose by one of the members of the company, they were forced into it. After long talks, several conversations with their children explaining how they would have to move to Japan, without going into specific details on why, and many, many angry letters to aforementioned employee, they agreed to go. For Nabiki, it meant going home. For Brandon, it meant a whole new life. For Joseph and Amy, especially Joseph, it was a curse.

Moving to Japan was easy. Moving into, and building onto, the Tendo house to accommodate a second family went smoothly. Picking up their job in a whole other country, simple. Getting the children assimilated into the Japanese world, still being worked on. Amy made the cultural switch rather easy, since they had practiced much of it in New York for Nabiki's benefit, but feeling like she lost all her friends back in New York was not something she enjoyed. Fortunately, she's become very accustomed to Japan, made new friends, and still speaks with most of the ones she left behind regularly, whether through the phone, through letters, or by visiting on their return trips to New York.

Joseph, however, has not changed much, for both Nabiki and Brandon. Again, getting used to the culture and language of Japan was almost effortless. Going from a high honor student to barely passing in a single week was definitely not a good opening, though. While some may say it was the fact that Japanese schools are often much more difficult than American, all his teachers said it was his absolute lack of effort and determination that really brought his grade down. Home wasn't much better, since he quite openly hated both his parents for bringing them here, and separating both himself and Amy, especially Amy, from their friends.

While Joseph has calmed down a lot from the beginning, it has been hassle after hassle for Brandon to get him to do work at school. Since whenever he has to get something done, he does with relative ease, it's obvious to everyone that he is smart enough to get the work done. And he loves being around his new friends and his Japanese half of his family, so that's not it either. And Amy is obviously happy again, so that's not the cause either.

At this point, Brandon is doing his best to keep Joseph out of trouble, and from making more. He still hasn't figured out why he won't just do what he wants, and why he is so constantly incensed with them, especially Nabiki. After a never-ending four year fight, he hasn't been able to solve anything. Brandon can see Nabiki struggling to keep everything together, and cracking under the stress, at least privately, and he can't stop kicking himself for not being able to stop it. The only thing the three of them have been able to accomplish is to keep most of the problems inside the family. Akane is the only one who even remotely knows how constant the struggle can be sometimes.

But, he knows life's not perfect, and so, Brandon keeps going. While the problems with Joseph seem insurmountable, he works at it when he can, and is just there for his family when he can't. Even though Joseph can be hateful towards him and Nabiki, there are always little clues that show, at least at the very core of their son, that he does still love them, even a little bit. And he and Nabiki both still love each other too much to even consider letting the family fall apart, and so they 're going to stay together no matter what happens. And they'll never give up. Because Brandon, like Nabiki, really, **really** hates losing.


	14. To The Last Man Standing

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma 1/2_, nor claim to.

Chapter Fourteen: To the Last Man Standing:

"I never said you were a mistake at all; you got it all wrong, you're misunderstanding." Alien Ant Farm: _Courage_

"Well? Are you going to say anything?!" Sauske demanded, coming off angrier than he really felt.

"Why should I?! . . . Do you really not know . . . why we are fighting?" Aki asked calmly, continuing to struggle against his "Hug Lock". "Why I **hate** you?!"

Sauske clenched his face at that. "No, I don't. I never figured out why." He said, before his voice quieted. "Are you going to enlighten me, or not? . . . After all, to everyone else, you seemed to like me for a while, after that kiss especially."

Aki suddenly stopped struggling. Keira, oblivious due to the distance she held and Sauske's suddenly quiet voice, blinked when the struggle stopped and the aura faded. "Is it over?"

_"PERVERT!" _Aki screamed, thrusting her arms out sideways with tremendous force, a blood red color suddenly swarming everywhere. Pressing the base of her palms together, she shoved her hands forward into Sauske's stomach, forcing him back several feet, before he tumbled to the ground.

Sauske didn't know what she had said, but he had a good guess. And it looked like she was going to lose control completely. Looking to his side, he saw her sword resting on the ground. Snatching it, he hopped back up. "KEIRA!" Sauske shouted, throwing it towards the girl. "Keep this away from her!"

The blade flew through the air before crashing onto the ground in front of the brown-haired girl. Keira snatched it up immediately, holding it by the handle, and resting the tip on the ground. Instead of examining it, however, she immediately turned her attention back to the fight.

"You . . . that was all you thought . . . about me?! . . . Brick-boy . . . you . . . PERVERT!" Aki screamed, before scanning the ground. There, by her feet, was the sharp kunai that Japanese girl had tossed to Brick-boy.

Sauske followed her eyes, then noticed her leaning down to grab the kunai. He shot forward, kicking the kunai away along the ground.

Aki, now half bent over, swung back up, leading with her fist. She uppercut the boy in the chin, lifting his feet off the ground a few inches, before turning and running for the kunai again. She didn't want to have to resort to this, but if that was what the boy was thinking, he ought to pay a bit more than necessary.

Sauske recovered quickly, and ran to beat the girl. Gently shoving her with his shoulder, he overtook the Chinese girl, and dove down for the knife. Grabbing it just before he crashed onto the ground, he spun onto his back in the dirt, before flinging the knife back towards Keira. "Keep this away too!"

Aki had recovered as well, and was still behind him. Seeing the kunai float away, she turned her attention back to her target, who was now conveniently lying flat on the ground. Raising her foot up, she stomped down on his stomach, which was punctuated by a very satisfying grunt of pain from the boy.

The girl, now that her target was nearly incapacitated on the ground, turned to the brown-haired girl. "My sword!" she demanded, starting to walk towards her. "Give it to me!"

Keira looked at the very angry look the girl was giving her, and then Sauske squirming on the ground in pain, and her mind was immediately made up. "No! Never! Not after what you did to Sauske-kun!"

"Give it to me now . . . or I will make you . . . give me the sword!" Aki shouted, her serious tone and glare proving those words were serious. "I won't hurt you . . . unless I have to . . . but I won't hesitate either!"

Keira responded by taking the sword, and throwing it backwards over her head. The sword flipped a couple of times in the air, before crashing down blade first, impaling itself upright into the dirt. She punctuated that by drawing her own sword, holding it up in front of her body, blade towards Aki. She then returned a just as determined glare. "The same for me!"

"STOP!" Sauske shouted, forcing the pain out of his head. "Don't you hurt Keira!" Slowly, he rolled onto his feet, and stood up, hunched over on his knees. "You're fighting with me, not her!" His breath was labored, but his mind was set. Then, however, he glanced down at his hand, and noticed a small red glow. Quickly he crushed his fingers together, and stamped out the color.

"Why?!" she suddenly shouted back right as he clenched his fist.

"Because you started this, and . . ." Sauske was cut off by another shout.

"Why won't you fight me with your aura?!"

Sauske swallowed hard, and stood in shock for a moment. Then he shook his head, lifting himself up. "I don't have an aura."

"LIAR!" Aki screamed, starting to march towards him, before stopping and pointing one finger straight at him. "I can see it, or could a moment ago, sheathing your arm in red! Then you cut it away! WHY?!"

"What do you mean?" Sauske asked dumbly.

"I could see . . . your aura easily covering . . . your whole arm! . . . It was as plain . . . as day! . . . Don't lie and tell me . . . it is not there! . . . I came here to fight! . . . But you are just . . . a coward!"

Sauske was normally pretty resilient against insults, but he was clinging to his calm at this moment. The insult just pushed him over the edge again. He was about to shout again, when he saw the red glow in the space between his fingers. On both hands.

"See! There it is . . . again! Both arms . . . sheathed in red! . . . even **you** can . . . see it! I see . . . your look, . . . your expression! You . . . can see it now too!"

Sauske clenched his teeth, followed by his fists. "I don't know what you're talking about." He muttered. "Now, about that fight." He took a deep breath, and felt his anger flow away slightly.

"_Stupid, lying **bastard**!"_ Aki shouted in her native tongue as she ran towards him again, arms ready, like him.

- - -

Sakura paused, waiting for the magic word. "GO!" Bingo! Suddenly, she released a power she enjoyed having, unlike her brother. A blue aura, easily eight times her size, flooded the area around her, as she looked up to see her opponent charging towards her for once. He stumbled one step, but otherwise continued on forward.

She dashed up towards him, before thrusting her sword directly at him. He copied her exactly, and the tips of each sword collided evenly. And there, they stayed. Sakura began pushing with all her newfound strength, but not adding more. She felt the kendoist standing across from her begin to increase the force behind him as well.

But the swords did not slip. Instead, they simply got more stabilized in place, as the pressure began bending the tips to form them together.

Sakura decided to take the chance of running out of time. She increased her aura, and began to shove harder. And amazingly, the other swordsman did as well. A small, faint blue aura, probably natural, began to glow just around the edges of the armor, and his strength began to grow. Both fighters, however, noticed the other beginning to shake under the weight of their strength.

This time, the swords did move. Not sideways, but backwards.

The two swords broke, crumpling under the force, crushing all the way down to the handle, spraying a cloud of splinters everywhere. When the two handles met, both drew back, tossing them aside. "SWORD!" Sakura shouted, and noticed the coach fling two swords in their direction. Stepping forward to time it right, she caught the sword by the handle in one hand, before swinging it back at her opponent as she placed her second hand onto it.

SHNK! The two new swords collided, as Sakura realized he already had his new sword too. Not wanting to break a second one just yet, she slid back a few feet in one quick step. The other kendoist slipped, his sword now without something to lean on, which caused Sakura to slash as she quickly stepped back in. He recovered quickly, however, twisting his hands and raising the sword back up, blocking with the blade a second time.

Sakura stepped back several steps, before powering down her aura to only four times her size. She needed the time, not the power here. She watched calmly as the other swordsman let his aura drift off. She waited as he did as well.

- - -

The coach smiled. Yanagi gasped in shock. "I've never seen that kind of battle aura!"

"You wouldn't. Kendo meets don't allow them, and most kendoists and swordfighters don't develop them, or at least not a very strong one. Since Sakura started by fighting with her hands, however, developing the aura became a necessity. A boon to her, to make up for a serious lack."

"Which is?" Yanagi asked, turning to the now paused fight.

"Experience. Her swordsmanship is very poor. Which, if my guess is right, will be demonstrated now."

- - -

Sakura was tired of waiting. She could only hold this aura so long, and if she hit that, it would be all over. And she was already tired from the four short skirmishes before. She charged forward again, ready for the next assault.

Her opponent took this opportunity to strike. He could tell how bad her grip was. And the best way to teach her was to show by example. Reaching his sword up and across his body, he made six slashes, then a pause, then twenty more empty slashes across his front in the space, using all the force he could muster, in approximately eight-tenths of a second.

Sakura wondered at what he was doing, when a wave of wind ripped into her chest. Swinging her sword in front of her, the second, and stronger, burst of wind crashed into her sword. And dragged it away. Her sword was thrown from her hands, flying over her shoulder and bouncing along the ground before coming to rest approximately twenty feet behind her.

Sakura turned to the coach. "SWORD!" He simply shook his head, and Yanagi pointed in the direction of her other sword. "Damn! I have to get it back?!" she thought angrily, when she noticed her opponent hadn't just stood there.

Sakura slid to one side as the sword dropped straight to the ground, whizzing past her in an instant. The swordsman let his sword click once on the ground before slashing across at knee height. Sakura, trained well in dodging, as well as being sped up by her power-hungry aura, flipped backwards, curling up to sail up and over the sword, and away from her attacker. She let her legs hang down, ready to land softly like she had so many times before. Or, that is what she thought.

Instead, she crashed onto the floor, her feet slipping out from under her, and ended up in a heap instead of standing serenely. Before she had a chance to understand what happened, she found herself rolling away from the kendoist in order to escape the rapid series of attacks. He was standing over her, dropping his sword straight down at the fallen form of the girl.

On his twelfth down strike, the sword cracked and snapped in several places, falling apart. He tossed it aside, before holding his hand out as the coach hurled another sword at him. He turned back to Sakura, watching and waiting this time.

Free from her attacker's assault, Sakura rolled onto her feet, and snatched her sword from the ground. She was glad to have rolled towards it. She held the sword firmly, and knew if she dropped her sword again, he was going to come back stronger than before. Just then, he caught a new sword to replace the one broken on the ground, before turning to her. Instead of attacking, he just watched her. Sakura stood up, before lifting her sword up to the ready position. She was not done yet.

The kendoist watched her, then began charging forward. Sakura followed suit. But then something happened which brought Sakura's mind into shock.

He began to strike the air again. Not in a single, repeating slash, but a series of rapid jabs, hundreds upon hundreds, at an indiscernible number of points, all in Sakura's direction.

Hoping to force her way through whatever happened, Sakura was shocked when the wall hit her. The wind that rose up smacked into her hard, bumping her head against the back of her helmet again. Then, she began sliding backwards. Running at top speed, her aura out fully, now at twenty times her own size, she began to regain some ground, until the attack became more furious, and the winds began to push her back again.

Her feet slid easily along the floor, picking up speed, until she hit another wall. A real wall. One of the walls of the gym to be exact. She smashed into it hard, bumping her head a second time, before the winds snapped her prone against it for a moment. Then, suddenly, they stopped. Sakura opened her eyes to see the swordsman still charging, before jabbing hard at her. That's when she felt it. A new pain in her side.

She was beaten.

"STOP! Point, and match, to the champion! He is the winner!" The coach shouted, holding out his thumbs-up sign.

- - -

Sauske ducked again, barely avoiding the roundhouse kick from Aki again. The fight had been going on for a few minutes since Aki had been disarmed and his aura had almost escaped. He had managed some safety, avoiding all the attacks the Chinese girl had thrown at him. Unfortunately, he was too scared to strike back, and so it was only a matter of time.

"YAAH!" Aki shouted to punctuate her step-kick, which punched straight through the boy's defense, knocking Sauske backwards and flat onto his back. He lay there a moment, gasping for breath, before rolling onto his side. Aki began to see red.

_"Dammit!" _Aki shouted, running over and kicking Sauske in the gut while he was still on the ground. The boy slid in the same position along the ground, before he began rolling on for a few feet, and stopping on his chest, gasping for breath. "If I wanted to . . . beat you up, Brick-boy . . . there are easier things I can do!"

Sauske struggled to his feet, slowly standing up, but still hunched over. "We are fighting, Aki-san."

"NO!" she shouted again, rushing up and punching him deftly across the cheek, launching him back onto the ground several feet away. "I am fighting . . . you are running!"

"She's right, Sauske-kun!" Keira shouted, worry clearly covering her face. "If you don't start attacking soon, she's going to kill you!"

Aki grimaced at the word "kill", but watched as Sauske stood back up. "I'll fight how I need to, Keira." Sauske said quietly, and raised his hands up again. Feeling a pain on his lip, he brushed away a small trickle of blood, before tuning al his attention towards Aki.

Aki was the one to charge again, jumping with a flying side kick towards Sauske's chest. He was about to move when the pain blocked his thoughts for an instant, and everything went crashing down. The kick got through, and Sauske found himself hurtling backwards onto the ground, a new level of pain in him. Slowly, however, he began to sit up.

Aki was about to charge again, her red aura now a bright flame, when it all died away, her arms dropping to her sides. "You . . . are enjoying this, . . . aren't you?"

"Enjoying what?" Sauske asked, brushing away more blood from his mouth.

"Enjoying my misery . . . my failure . . . my shame . . . And you won't give me . . . the one thing I wanted . . . **again**." Aki sighed, letting her head drop. Her voice grew hostility with the next line. "You **are **enjoying this."

Sauske sat up more, coughing loudly, before looking up at her from twenty feet away. "What do you mean? Why would I enjoy this?!"

Aki stared at him like he was stupid, before mentally deciding he was. "Since I was born, . . . I was an Amazon warrior . . . I learned to fight . . . learned to work . . . learned to live. . . . I knew I was not the best, . . . most of my family is stronger . . . but I knew I was strong too. . . . When we came here . . . to Japan . . . my mother told me . . . how there would be others . . . who are better than me." The girl sighed once, before continuing.

"I knew I could accept that . . . and if someone defeated me . . . I would accept my laws . . . and continue with my life free of shame. . . . And then you came." The hostility in her voice grew with each passing word. "You hid your strength the first time I saw you . . . which was intelligent and correct. . . . When we fought, however . . . you gave me no respect. . . . Warriors are not afraid to lose . . . or afraid to win!"

Sauske continued to rise, using this brief respite to get back as much energy as he could. "Afraid to win? What are you talking about?"

"You have not even given me . . . the respect to fight me as a warrior. . . . To train my whole life . . . only to have someone stronger than me . . . burn that fact into my face like you do . . . with every strike you dodge . . . every opening you choose to ignore . . . every attack you choose to hold back . . . and I am sick of it!"

Sauske stared back at her. "I'm sorry . . ."

"Sorry is not enough! . . . We are going to fight . . . right now, for real, understand?!"

The boy though this idea over for a minute.

"Is that what you want? Because I won't be pulling any punches."

"Yes, that is what I want!" Aki shouted.

Sauske paused again, thinking the idea over more, before sighing, brushing more blood from his mouth, and resigned to his fate, forcing all his energy on removing the pain from his mind. "All right, then, Aki-san, let's fight."

- - -

Sakura felt the sword tip slid away, and so she slowly slid back forward, walking forward a few steps before dropping to one knee. She stayed there for a moment, resting, before standing again, as she and her opponent bowed to each other, signifying the end of the match.

Sakura immediately dropped to one knee again. "What was that, anyway?" she said loudly to herself, pulling her helmet and shoulder pads off her head, and placing them lightly on the ground, along with her sword. She had miscalculated her moves. Having done all her training armor free, her inertia changed, and she couldn't pull off her acrobatic moves in the heavy armor correctly. She'd really have to get a set of this before she did any more serious training. Beyond sword training, that is.

Reaching up, she pulled the cloth covering off her hair, letting it flow back down over her shoulders naturally, although it was frizzy and coated in sweat from the sparring match.

"Well, Sakura, that was quite impressive." The coach said, walking slowly towards her, the ever-present equipment manager Yanagi next to him.

"Yeah, it was a great match." Yanagi added. "I'd say you're going to be on the kendo club team, no problem."

Sakura glanced back up at the coach, ignoring the hundreds of small cuts on her uniform, and the severe dent on the center of the armor. "Did I make it?"

The coach shrugged. "That's not our decision this time. It's his." He pointed over at her opponent, who was then struggling to get his helmet off.

Sakura sneered at him, before replying gruffly, "Oh, really? And who would **he** be?" At this point, the kendoist was able to remove his helmet, before swinging it around and placing it onto the ground. Sakura glanced up, before staring at the boy's face.

He had a creamy skin tone, merged with a face with an almost girlish cuteness and small, brown eyes. Swinging his hand back, he flicked his grayed black ponytail, wrapped for a few inches with white cloth just behind his head, letting it settle gently on his back. His hair was otherwise in flattened spikes, running along the top of his head then down his face. A small smile crept over his face. "Hello, Sakura-san."

Sakura's eyes grew wide. Suddenly, she jumped up again, stuttering out his name. "C-c-captain Kuno-sama!" She bowed quickly, and much deeper than last time. "I'm sorry if I offended you! I didn't know I was competing against you!"

The boy waved his hands up, trying to calm her down. "It's okay, Sakura-san! Don't worry about it." He paused for a moment. "Anyway, let me just say congratulations."

Sakura paused for a moment, blinking. Then, her eyes grew wide. "D-do you mean . . ."

"Yes. Welcome to kendo club." He said with a smile.

Sakura squealed happily, before bowing again. "Thank you so much, Kuno-sama! I won't disappoint you!"

Kuno smiled, and nodded. "I know." Then, he turned to the coach. "Sorry, but I have to go. My cousin is sick, so can you two take care of everything?" The coach and Yanagi nodded. "Well, then, I guess I'll see you all at Monday's practice." He pulled up the helmet again, and began jogging towards the door to the boys locker room.

Sakura smiled, watching him go. "I won't disappoint you. I promise." She swore to herself, determined to make her acceptance worth it.

BAM! Kuno smashed into the door, having forgotten to open it. Sakura winced at the sound, before looking back at him. "Oops," was his only reply, before he swung the door open, and disappeared through it.

- - -

Ranma sat down at the front of the dojo, his legs folded over one another, as he tried to focus his mind. It wasn't working very well.

"So, here you are again." A voice said quietly, the sounds of someone entering the dojo resounding through the hall.

Ranma cracked one eye open, glancing over his shoulder at him. "Hey, Brandon. Whatcha want?"

He shrugged his shoulders, walking towards him. "Nothing. I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"And why would ya want to do that?"

"Because, you are a friend, you take care of your family and mine," Brandon leaned on the wall, looking down at his brother-in-law, "and I have never seen you think so hard about something. Something is up whenever you get lost in thought."

"Oh, and what makes ya think that?"

"Ranma, you are as easy to read as a book. And while I am no expert on people's minds, I would guess that this has something to do with Sauske and Aki being engaged."

"Gee, is it that obvious?" Ranma said sarcastically, before turning back to his meditation.

"Is there a real problem with all of this?"

"Of course there's a problem! I've been tryin' to keep my kids out of the crap I had to grow up in, and it seems like every time I try, nothin' works out right! First the training, then the curses, now the engagement! I don't need another thing to have to worry about!"

Brandon sighed. "You can not protect them forever, Ranma. They have to learn some independence, and for what you say they have been through, I think they are doing quite well."

Ranma calmed, taking a deep breath, and nodding. "Yeah, you're right. I just wanted things to be better for them."

"Do not punish yourself, Ranma. You did try." Brandon stood up, figuring he would bring the bags back to his room. "Well, at least now you can give everyone a good reason to visit Jusenkyo."

"Yeah, maybe we could go back." Ranma began, beginning to fade into thought. "Even if they don't get married, and I doubt they will, they probably deserve to see it once."

- - -

Sauske waited as Aki ran up to him. She was on the verge of fury again, having exposed her feelings a moment ago. However, she was able to hold control enough to force out a blue aura, her eyes locked on her battered target. She swung out a right hook, aiming for the boy's face, when he slid aside, avoiding the punch. She almost lost any emotional control, when something stopped her anger.

It was a fist, jammed into her gut. Sauske pulled it back quickly, before swinging his right hand up in an uppercut, nicking the girl on the chin. When her guard dropped, he swung out with his right foot in a roundhouse kick, planting the top of his foot into the side of her head, knocking her several feet aside.

The girl spiraled away, crashing onto the ground a few feet away, before her whole body rolled around, spinning her back onto her hands and knees. Pushing herself up with her hands, her body launched back up into a fighting stance. Then, she ran forward again, smiling.

Sauske swung his arm to one side to block a punch, then to the other to block a second. Crossing his arms, he lifted it above his head to stop a deep chop, before dropping them down to catch Aki's knee on its charge towards his gut. From there, he formed two fists, and swung them into Aki's chest, tossing her back again.

The Chinese girl stumbled a bit, before recovering quickly. She turned to Sauske, blood fury in her eyes again, and charged again. She had wanted him to fight her, but she didn't want to lose either. Sauske, ignoring the pain in his body as much as he could, snapped his foot out straight, kicking Aki's arms as she moved them in the way to block. The girl slid back several more feet, then Sauske hopped back several steps.

There, they stood for a moment, catching their breath. Keira watched in awe. "It's been a while since he's been this willing to attack. He's back to his old fighting style." She thought back to a long time ago happily. "Maybe he'll stay that way for a change." Then, the seriousness of the fight returned, and she shook those ideas out of her head.

Silently, they began charging again. Aki leaned back to prepare a punch, when Sauske dropped out of sight. Her eyes darted around, searching for him, until she found the boy again, sliding along the ground towards her. Turning onto his shoulder, Sauske slipped past the Chinese girl between her legs, letting his arms trail behind him. Aki felt the boy slide back onto his back after sliding underneath her, before his arms started moving back to his sides. Quickly.

Sauske snapped his arms to his sides, making sure they passed through Aki's ankles first. He heard a loud THUMP! as the girl face-planted into the ground, sliding across the dirt until her inertia dropped to zero. After a moment, her body dropped to the ground, before it was shoved back up by her powerful arms. Sauske rolled onto his feet, before turning to face the girl.

Aki stood up, her red aura flaring up again. She brushed several pebbles off her cheek, before muttering some curse words in Chinese and charging once again at the boy. Snapping her right hand out in a punch as soon as she was in range, she saw her opponent lean out of the way, followed by a sharp pain as he rammed his fist into her stomach again. She coughed once, before he pulled his hand back, bent it over his arm, and snapped his elbow upwards into her chin.

The girl shrieked at the impact, knocking her head back, but yanked it back down into place. Reaching across, she grabbed one of his punches at the wrist. Attempting to twist it around, her strength met with stiff resistance.

The boy looked straight into Aki's eyes. "Aki, this is enough, all right?"

"No! . . . We are not done yet!" she shouted, her aura exploding in size. Sauske sighed, but resigned to his fate.

With his free hand, he chopped down on Aki's arm, which was still trying to twist his wrist, and was starting to win. While she gasped in pain, he peeled her hand away, took her by the wrist, and turned his back to the girl. He placed her arm over his right shoulder, took her wrist in both hands, and pulled.

Aki was ripped off the ground, lifted over the boy's shoulder, and thrown away. His hand released, and so the girl was now a free-floating object. Adjusting her body as best she could, she spun around, twisted the front of her body to face the ground, and slid her hands and feet down. She crashed down, her fingers digging into the dirt and her feet sliding across the top of it, her head hanging limply at the neck. The body slid along, before she jammed her feet into the ground, coming to a complete stop.

Her head snapped up, a low snarl emanating from the girl. Her arched back slunk further away from the boy, her fingers dug deeper into the dirt, and her legs bent more to set up a immediate charge. The blue wisps of hair dangled in front of her face, but she paid no attention to them. Her eyes were blazing, staring back, and the oddly shaped green eyes seemed to stand out more than the time before. Sauske stared in wonder and awe at the cat-shaped girl, but was drawn back by the incredible red aura being given off.

Almost as quickly as the shape fully appeared, it faded. Aki's eyes turned, looking past Sauske, before they lost their anger, and turned to fear, widening almost three times their size. Her fingers loosened, her back dropped, and her knees hit the ground. The red aura shrank back slowly, until it drew itself completely into the girl. A few tears began forming around her eyes, but none of them were strong enough to roll away. Her lips mouthed a small "no" before her body seemed to lose any support, and she began twitching slightly.

Sauske watched the girl's sudden transformation, almost total submission, before realizing she wasn't afraid of him. Something was behind him, and as soon as he noticed, he began to turn. He didn't get to just yet. Aki had one last response to the object of her fear to finish, as she began pushing herself back onto her feet completely.

Next Chapter: A pair of visitors, an explanation, a trip to the doctor, a family reunion, a pair of confessions, and a declaration of friendship.

* * *

Well, that's the end of chapter fourteen. Nothing to say, so on with the reviews:

The Liz: YAY! Somebody does like my fight scenes! I was never sure if I did them well, but apparently I am. Thank you!

* * *

Tofu Ono

Age: 57

Occupation: Doctor, specializing in shiatsu and acupressure

Strength: 2

Stamina: 3

Speed: 2

Ki: 2

Aura: 0

Special Techniques: 1

Dr. Tofu Ono, the best physical therapist and all around healer in all of Nerima, has made a few changes. Emphasis on few. Appearance wise, he has grayed and aged a bit, more than most others, but it only makes him look more distinguished. And in the case of martial arts, again, like Ukyo and Konatsu, little has changed. While he only does have one special technique, shiatsu, his knowledge means he can accomplish almost any effect and knows nearly every point on the human body.

The biggest change from his life over twenty years ago is Kasumi. After finding a way to control himself while around her, which has as of yet not been discovered by anyone beyond Akane and Ranma, he began building a relationship with her. Things worked out well, and soon they were engaged and married. Life has its patterns, it seems.

While there was some difficulty keeping the clinic running with Kasumi around, and then with their first child on the way, people quickly began to realize going to the clinic with Kasumi was no longer a death sentence. In fact, he seemed to be doing better. By the time their son Shinji was two, all the regular customers had returned.

During this time, Ono spent most of his free time helping Kasumi get her nursing degree, and then teaching her most of what he knew. When he grew older, Ono began teaching Shinji too. The boy is, right now, at Tokyo University, working towards a degree in some form of medicine. He hasn't decided quite yet. But, as you can expect, his parents are behind him, ready to provide medical attention, cookies, and plenty of enthusiasm.

As for the events of the last twenty years, Ono has retained a continued background role. He is rarely directly involved in the actual events, mostly being there to help clean up when it's all over. And considering some of the damage relatives and friends have entered his office in, a lot of unhappy endings were saved because of him. From Kite's cardiac arrest to Ranma's wounds after the last fight with Happosai, a lot of people in Nerima owe him their lives, since he saved theirs.

Overall, thought, Dr. Tofu has retained that cheerful, hardworking demeanor he first appeared with. The only big difference is that he now has a new series of reasons to work harder than ever.


	15. Feelings

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma ½_, nor claim to.

Chapter Fifteen: Feelings:

"Don't try to live so wise; don't cry 'cause you're so right. Don't dry with fakes or fears, because you will hate yourself in the end." Akeboshi: _Wind_

Aki stared. _"No, not now! I'm so close! No! Why did they have to come here?!"_ The tears in her eyes overtook any control, and began flowing steadily as she hopped to her feet. Her sobs began to grow audible, before she spun around, putting her back to her fiancé. And without an instant's hesitation, she did the only thing she could think of.

She ran.

Sauske turned back to see, and hear, a crying Aki rush away, running to the edge of the field, jumping over the fence, and disappearing down the street. He turned to Keira, who was also watching the girl run. The girl looked back to him, and shrugged. Together, they turned around to see what was behind them.

At first, Sauske didn't see anything unusual. It was just an empty field. Until he looked at the chain link fence. There, just on the other side, both intently looking towards them, were two people, a man and a woman, definitely Chinese, probably in their late thirties, early forties. The woman had long, dark purple hair, tied up in a traditional Chinese style, wearing a pair of jeans and a rainbow short-sleeved shirt, while the man had long black hair, glasses, and wore long, white robes. The two of them deftly jumped over the fence, and slowly began walking towards them.

Sauske sucked up the pain that was starting to bother him again, and drew his hands up. If Aki was afraid of them, he knew they could be dangerous. The two adults blinked at his action, but shrugged it off and approached anyway. When they were almost twenty feet away, Sauske shouted, "Who are you?!"

They blinked again, before noticing not only how agitated the boy was, but the girl was reaching for one of the knives attached to her arm. They glanced at each other, and the man spoke first. "Don't worry. We aren't going to attack. Who are you?" The question was definitely directed at Sauske.

Keira relaxed her shoulders, and Sauske let his arms down a little, but they were both still obviously ready to strike in a heartbeat. "Saotome. Saotome Sauske. And you are?"

Both the adults blinked. "You're Sauske?" the man asked, and the boy nodded. He turned to the woman. _"Well, I guess that settles the dispute, doesn't it?"_ The woman nodded. He turned back to the boy, pushing the glasses up further onto his face. "Well, Sauske," he began gravely, before his tone turned light, "Welcome to the family! My name is Mousse, and this is Shampoo!"

Sauske stared back. "You . . . you mean, you're . . ."

"Yes, Aki is our daughter!"

"Wait a second!" Keira shouted, waving her arms. "What do you mean, 'Welcome to the family!'?"

Shampoo turned to her. "He win fight against Aki. Now, they are engaged to be married!" She smiled happily.

A faint breeze blew though, as Keira shuddered, her face obscured as his hung down, covered by the shadows of her hair. "Oh, Sauske?!" she muttered quietly.

A rock the size of a brick smashed into the side of his head, knocking the boy several feet away. Shampoo and Mousse leaned back, frozen in fear, and turned to the steaming girl. Shampoo suddenly recognized something, and looked closer at her.

"Sauske! How could you just get engaged like that?! And why did she call you a pervert, and try to kill you!"

Mousse looked at her. "Kill him? No, Aki would never do that."

Keira turned to him, obviously still angry. "Hello?! She attacked him with that huge sword over there! How is that **not **trying to kill him?!"

Mousse noticed the sword, and walked over to it, talking as he went. "No, she wouldn't. It's against Amazon law to kill the person whom you are engaged to. She was probably trying to beat him before we found out, so that she could declare it a delayed victory and escape the engagement altogether." He pulled the sword from the ground.

"Then why the sharp sword?!" Keira shouted.

Mousse shook his head. "Did you ever look at it?" Suddenly, the other three crowded around, Shampoo looking over her husband's shoulder, Keira on one side, Sauske the other, rubbing his head where a large bump was forming. "Look closely at the blade."

Keira peered in deeply, and gasped. The edge was gone. The sword tapered off, but the edge had been worn away. Or cut away, since the whole sword was now flat. It wasn't cut away very much, but it was enough to turn the blade from extremely sharp to quite dull. Sure, it would break bones, but if used properly, it wouldn't kill someone.

"B-but the schoolbag, she sliced it in half, didn't she?" Keira asked, her rage subsiding, before running to where she thought she saw it land. Everyone turned to follow her with their eyes, as she picked up the school bag Sauske had thrown at Aki. She looked at it, barely believing what had just happened. It was a little dusty, and one of the buckles was dented, but was undamaged otherwise.

Shampoo walked over in that direction, but took up the dropped scabbard, and returned to Sauske and Mousse. Her husband handed her the sword, which she slid back in. She paused, thinking over the situation. _"Meuze, you go to meet Ranma and Akane, and tell them what has happened. I will go back and talk to Aki, and finish straightening this out. Understand?" _Mousse nodded, and began walking back to the road they had arrived on, jumping the fence, and walking towards the Tendo Dojo.

Shampoo smiled to Sauske, before lifting up the scabbard, and resting it on her shoulder. "I guess you be visiting restaurant soon. More often than your father." She smiled more, then continued on towards the fence. Suddenly, she stopped, turning towards Keira. "Oh, you do me favor, and tell Spatula girl the hussy says hello." She said with a knowing smile, before continuing to the fence and hopping over.

After a moment, she was gone.

Keira stared at her for a while, before shaking her head. "Whatever." She walked over to Sauske, shoving the bag into his hands. "Okay, **you **have some explaining to do, Sauske-kun."

- - -

The pair walked down along the street, as the sky above them began darkening due to an approaching storm. "All right, Sauske-kun, time to explain all this. What is going on here? Why was that girl trying to pretend to kill you?"

"Well, um, it's kind of . . ." Sauske began, before being cut off.

Keira leaned in towards him, glaring menacingly. "And what was that about being engaged, hmm?"

"Well, uh, the thing is . . ." Sauske said, before stepping back out of the girl's range of attack, and taking a deep breath, "it's the way the Amazon laws work."

Keira just watched him.

"You see, when an Amazon woman gets beaten by anyone who isn't an Amazon, they have one of two things to do. If it's a girl, the Amazon has to kill her. And if it's a boy, . . . um, she has to marry him." Sauske was visibly sweating, and pale in the face.

Keira was still glowering at him. "So, if you knew that, why did you fight the girl in the first place?!"

"Well, the thing is," Sauske took another step away from the girl, "I sort of forgot about the laws until **after** I fought her."

Keira was about to shout, when something clicked in her head. "So, it's not like you're in love or anything, right?"

Sauske blinked, surprised he was still out of danger, and so he nodded slowly. "Not really, we only met two days ago."

On the outside, Keira was still stern and upset. Inside, she was celebrating. "WHOO HOO!" she screamed in her head. "Nothing's really changed! That crazy girl may be engaged to Sauske-kun, but they aren't in love! Now all I got to do is split them up, and everything is all set!"

* * *

"Oh, Keira, thank you so much for helping me get away from that Chinese girl I was engaged to." Sauske said quietly, leaning in towards her face.

Keira smiled, her face slightly pink as they leaned closer together. "Oh, Sauske-kun, it was no trouble. Anytime you need my help . . ."

Sauske leaned closer as the girl let her eyes glide shut. "Keira, I have to confess something. I think I love you."

Keira smiled. "I love you too." She could feel his breath passing gently over her lips, and so they slid . . .

* * *

POW! "Keira! Are you okay?!" Sauske shouted as he helped Keira back onto her feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She replied, rubbing her nose, and glaring up at the telephone pole she just walked into. Standing up, she shook off Sauske, still pretending to be very angry, while trying to massage away the pain in her face. She paused a moment, letting her body tip forward as if in deep thought.

Keira leaned back a bit, letting her glower fade. "Well, I guess I can let this slide. But you need to be more careful, Sauske-kun. I've never known you to be on the offensive for a long time."

"My sister and Aki-san both talked me into it."

The girl blinked at her friend. "Aki-san? Who's that?"

"The Chinese girl. The one I'm engaged to."

"Oh." Keira replied coolly. She turned her voice inward, thinking over the turn of events. "So, the girl's name is Aki. Well, we'll just see how things play out."

Sauske, feeling safe again, noticed something odd. "Hey, Keira, what is that?" he asked, pointing to the bracer on her arm, with the seven kunai sticking out.

"What, this?" she asked, pointing at it too. Sauske nodded. "Oh, It's just a armguard I made so I could hold my kunai in a fight. I even set it up to drop them all out at once with a single string. I was just trying it out."

"Why did you need that? You never said anything about having trouble with them before?"

Keira stared at him blankly as they approached Ono Tofu's clinic. "Try taking a shopping bag, fill it full of steak knives, then jam your hand into it. That's what my old belt pouch was like."

"Ow." Sauske mouthed, before nodding in understanding as they entered the door.

- - -

"We're home!" Auska chimed as she led her cousins into the house. Sliding off their shoes, the three entered the house. Auska was the only one to get around the corner. "Hi Mommy!" she said, noticing her walking out of the kitchen.

"Well, hello, you two." A male voice down the other hall said, approaching slowly. Joseph and Amy turned on a dime.

"Dad!" Amy shouted, running up to him. She jumped up and glomped around his shoulder, and Brandon grabbed his daughter into a hug just as tightly, spinning around a few times, before lowering her back to the ground.

"Hi Dad." Joseph said cheerfully, smiling up at him from the doorway.

Brandon took his little girl by the hand walking up to his son. "Hey, how have the two of you been since we've been gone?"

"Great!" Amy said happily, smiling up at him. "We got to go to Ucchan's for dinner! And then Sauske got a girlfriend, even though he won't tell anyone about her!"

Brandon smiled. "I heard about that! Have you gotten to meet her yet?"

Amy shook her head, when another voice rose up from behind them. "Hey, aren't you two forgetting someone?"

Nabiki leaned gently against the doorframe, smiling serenely at her children, as Auska rushed passed to greet her uncle. "Mom!" Amy shouted, rushing up to her. Nabiki knelt down, grabbing her daughter in a hug twice as tight as the one Brandon had given her.

"Hey, how have you been?!" the mother whispered in her ear, smiling at her family.

Joseph sighed, nodded, waved to Nabiki, then set off down the hall. "Well, I have homework to do."

Nabiki and Brandon were both about to stop them, but they couldn't get away from the two girls hugging each of them tightly. After a moment, they let him go.

Nabiki sighed, watching her son disappear around the corner, before being drawn back to where she was. "All right, now you have to tell us all about what happened when we left." She said to Amy with a big smile.

Amy beamed back, saying "Okay!" before leading her mother into the living room.

- - -

"Wow, Sauske, what hit you?" Ono asked as he finished bandaging up his cheek. As he slid back, Sauske rubbed the gauze patch lightly, feeling the ends of the tape attaching it to his face.

The boy shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I got in a fight with a girl who wanted to break our engagement."

CRASH! Ono slid in his chair into the wall as a dish crashed outside the room. Keira's voice could be heard after a moment. "Kasumi-sama! What's wrong?! Are you okay?!" There was a pause. "Something wrong?! Was it an important dish or something? . . . Hello? . . . Kasumi-sama?"

"Di-d-did you just say engagement?" Ono muttered lightly, turning back to his nephew. The boy nodded. "Oh, o-okay. N-n-now, who are you engaged to, S-Sauske?"

"Um, the girl's name is Aki, and she's a Chinese Amazon. I think she's the daughter of someone named Shampoo and . . .uh, what was his name?"

"M-Mousse?" Ono asked tentatively.

"Yeah, that's it. Hey, do you know them?"

Ono nodded slowly. "A little." He paused a moment, before clearing his throat, cleaning his glasses, and rubbing his face. "How did everyone else take it?"

"Everyone else?"

"Yes, your parents, Sakura, Auska, Keira, all you friends. How did they react?"

Sauske sighed. "My parents are acting like this is sort of a chore, Sakura is kind of quiet about it, Auska has been shouting at home about how I have a girlfriend with Amy and sometimes Joseph, Keira seems all right now that I explained it to her, and my friends don't know."

"A-ah ha." The doctor replied, slowly rolling the chair over to the boy. "Well, you seem to be all better. Try not to get into any more trouble, okay?" Sauske nodded, bowed, thanked the doctor, and left to get Keira and walk her home.

Dr. Tofu watched them leave out the front door. He sighed, thinking everything over. "Well, if nothing else," Ono thought to himself, his nephew walking away and down the street, "he's at least better off than his father. **One** fiancée, an easy curse to deal with, and his parents always around to watch out for him. I guess it could be worse."

- - -

"Mousse!" Ranma said cheerfully, sliding open the front door. It still had an odd feeling to it, but times had changed, after all. "How are ya?!"

"I'm well, thank you. And you?" the man said, pushing his glasses up, smiling politely.

Ranma smirked. "Heh, you know me. But, things have been worse, so I guess I can't complain." As Mousse slipped off his shoes, Ranma spoke up again. "So, how are things at Jusenkyo?"

Mousse sighed. "Not much better. A couple of springs have come back. Kind of ironic. The drowned girl was first, followed by the drowned boy. There are at least twelve back now, but they're not much more than half a meter deep."

"Huh. Figures." Ranma replied, shaking his head.

Mousse nodded knowingly, and Ranma led him into the living room. Akane looked up from the table. "Oh, hello, Mousse."

"Hello Akane." He replied, bowing to her as she stood up. The woman bowed back quickly, before the three of them sat down at the table.

Ranma was the first to speak. "Well, where's Shampoo? She said she was comin' too, didn't she?"

"There's been a change of plans, Ranma." Mousse replied, before receiving questioning looks from both the Saotomes. "While we were walking here, we found Aki and Sauske fighting. Sauske won, and so therefor, the Amazon laws apply. Whether you like it or not, Sauske and Aki are engaged."

Ranma sighed audibly, and Akane was clearly disappointed. Mousse rolled his eyes behind his thick glasses. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, Shampoo and I have already agreed to not pressure them into a marriage unless Aki chooses to pursue the law right now. They are engaged, but we won't force it upon them until they are ready."

"Yeah, like that'll take long." Ranma muttered, not thinking.

Mousse shot him a death glare. "When Aki lost, and saw us watching, she ran from the field in tears. Even **you** are smart enough to figure out what she thinks of the idea."

Akane blinked, and Ranma twitched under the glare. "Oh, sorry. Didn't know."

Mousse sighed, standing up. "Well, now that that is take care of, I better return to my home. I still have work to do." He bowed to them. "I do believe everything is settled."

Akane nodded. As Mousse walked out the hall, she shouted one final thing. "Well, Mousse, we won't either. Until they're ready for it, we'll let them figure out themselves without being pressured into marrying."

Mouse turned back, smirking. "I figured as much." Then, he left.

- - -

"Well, I'll see you later, Keira." Sauske said carefully as they stopped in front of the restaurant.

The girl spun around immediately. "What? You're . . . leaving? Why? Didn't you want to come by today?"

"Yeah, but there's something I have to take care of first. I'll come by tomorrow."

Keira pouted, before sighing. "Oh, all right. I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow."

Sauske smiled, waving back to her as he began walking down the street. "All right, see you then."

- - -

"_Hello, mother." _The older boy replied, still staring at the stairs up to the large apartment above the restaurant-to-be. Shampoo nodded to the boy, opening her mouth to ask something. _"Aki is up in her room. Is something wrong?"_

Shampoo debated the answer to that as she walked to the stairs. _"When she's ready to tell you about it, she can do it herself."_

The girl, short as Auska, raced over to follow her mother up the stairs, her white robes flowing over her body. Shampoo turned back, shaking her head. _"No, Pai, I want you to wait here. I would rather talk to her alone first. All right?" _The girl looked at her glumly, but upon taking in everything she saw, nodded and walked back to the table she was painting.

Shampoo, reaching the top of the stairs, walked along the halls, finding the room they had designated for Aki and Pai to share until the restaurant was finished, since some of the other rooms were being used to store the building materials that weren't in immediate need. But they seemed to like sharing the room, or at least Pai did, and they might end up staying that way.

Knocking gently on the door, a small squeal of surprise was hear, followed by someone shuffling around the room and a reply of _"Go away, Pai!"_

"_This isn't Pai, and I'm not leaving."_ Shampoo stated firmly. _"Please let me in, Aki."_

There was a loud sigh from inside, but as followed by a _"Fine,"_ so Shampoo slid the door open and entered. The only thing out of place from the normal room was the large lump on the bed. That lump being, of course, Aki, facing away from her door, a pillow clutched over her face, curled into a small ball. Shampoo moved slowly, sitting down on the edge of her bed, near her head.

She reached her hand down, touching her daughter gently on the shoulder. She winced at that, scooting several inches away without turning to face her mother. _"Is everything all right, Aki?"_

"_Fine!"_ she replied immediately, not turning from her pillow. _"Just fine!"_

"_You don't seem that way."_

"_Well, I am. Perfectly fine. Nothing wrong. Please leave me alone."_

Shampoo slid over to her. _"Are you still upset about Sauske?"_

"_I am **not** upset at all. I'm very happy with him. He's a strong guy. Whatever you want. Nothing to worry about."_

"_Aki, tell me the truth."_ Shampoo slid closer. _"I'm not angry about anything. Please . . . just tell me the truth."_

The girl nodded slightly, and began to unroll herself, turning face down onto the bed, before turning her face up to see her. Her face was flushed red, the remnants of old tears still visible, her eyes watery, her eyes obviously saddened and afraid. Her mouth was still clamped down, trying to keep herself from breaking out into tears again. _"Why does it have to be him?!"_ She said suddenly.

Shampoo, taken aback at that question, sighed, and placed her hand gently on her shoulder again, massaging it gently to try and calm her. _"You know our laws. You even promised no matter what, you'd follow him. The rest is just chance. If it's a problem, I'm sorry. But life isn't always fair."_

Aki glanced away. _"But why him?! I can't stand him! Even some of those idiot boys back at the village were better than him! They respected me!"_

"_I'm sure he respects you, Aki."_ Shampoo said quietly. _"The cultures are different . . ."_

"_He doesn't respect me!" _Aki shouted, interrupting her mother. _"If he did, he wouldn't have just let me hurt him so badly, and then return to throw his power in my face. He let me taste victory, then took it all away just for the fun of it."_

"_I don't think that is the kind of thing he would do. After all, you don't know him well."_

"_You don't know him either!"_

"_True,"_ Shampoo replied calmly, _"but I knew his father. And I know he would not let his own son turn out like you think he did."_

Aki turned back to her mother, scowling. _"It's easy for you to say that. You were arranged to be married to somebody good. Somebody you loved. I just got stuck with someone"_

Shampoo smiled that all knowing smile, the one where there's been a secret hanging in the air far too long, and it just resurfaced. _"Do you know why I was so happy to be engaged to Ranma?" _Aki glanced up at her questioningly. _"You might be surprised."_

"_All right. Why?"_ Aki asked cautiously.

"_Truthfully, . . . to get away from your father."_ Aki's eyes widened. _"He would always follow me around, professing he loved me to random objects along the street, thinking it was me. I couldn't stand it. So when I had to hunt down the girl-Ranma, it was an escape from him, at least for a little while. Then, when I got engaged, he wasn't a temporary escape from Meuze, but a permanent one. I was so happy."_

Aki blinked. _"What changed?"_

"_Nothing." _Shampoo said slowly, smiling off at some unknown corner of the room. _"Akane and Ranma fell in love, I was all alone again, and when your father tried to get me to go on a date with him, I was too depressed to think of any way to get out. The rest is history."_ She replied with a small smirk.

"_So, what's the point?"_

"_Well, Aki, you can never know who you'll love. Give Sauske a chance. He might surprise you."_

The girl scoffed at that, turning away again. _"I doubt it."_

"_Why?" _her mother asked slowly, prompting the girl to turn back to her. _"I hated your father for a long time, and we're both happy now, with you, your brothers, and your sister all together with us. Akane and Ranma are happy, and they **hated** each other when they met. They were arranged to be married against their wills too. Don't rush to judge him."_ Shampoo said, slowly rising, walking towards the door, noting her daughter was looking much calmer. _"You might regret it later."_

Aki paused, thinking things over. Shampoo stepped out, closing the door, and . . . _"Mother!"_ Aki said suddenly. Shampoo slid the door open again, looking in and seeing her head watching intently in her direction. _"Can you tell me something?"_

"_What is it?" _the woman asked calmly, smiling.

Aki clenched her lips for a moment, before speaking. _"How did you break the engagement between yourself and Ranma?"_

Shampoo smiled. _"Now, that you will have to figure out for yourself."_

- - -

Sauske took a deep breath. This is where he first met that Chinese couple. Maybe Aki had the lynx as a pet . . . oh, what did that matter? There were more important things to go over now. He knocked soundly on the door, and a young girl opened it. She looked up at the boy, but said nothing.

"Um, hi. I'm . . . Saotome Sauske. Is Aki here? I need to talk to her." The words tumbled out without thought, but at least it was coherent.

The girl looked at him, thought for a moment, then pointed index first finger upwards.

Sauske blinked. "Is she . . . up in her room or something?" he said slowly, trying to decipher the girl's pointing.

The girl shook her head, then swung her arm up, still pointing, hopping a few times.

"Is she on the roof?" The girl nodded vigorously, smiling. "Oh, okay. Thank you." Sauske said with a smile. The girl smiled back cheerfully, and he walked away as she let the door close. "She seems nice." Sauske thought to himself. "Reminds me of Auska."

Walking into the alley, he grabbed onto the fire escape, and began hopping up the building nimbly, landing on the railings only for a moment, before leaping up to the next one. Two from the roof, he jumped with extra might, flying up the last two stories in a single jump, landing gently on the roof. Slowly, he stood up, looking around. There, at one edge, facing the street, sat Aki. Her head turned at the sound of him landing on the roof, and their eyes met. As soon as they were both looking at each other, Aki huffed and turned away from the boy.

Sauske sighed, and walked over to her other side, stepping over the edge of the roof, onto a thin strip of stone, before sitting down next to the girl. She immediately huffed the other direction, looking away again. The dark clouds continuing to spread overhead only further expanded on the mood of the area. Sauske sighed, not knowing what to do. Suddenly, an inspiration hit him.

"Um, . . . I'm sorry."

Aki paused, a moment, before slowly, agonizingly slowly for Sauske, turned to look straight at him. Her face was calm and stern, her blue hair wisping around her head in the faint breeze. "What for?" she asked with a painfully serious tone.

Sauske sighed. "For . . . whatever it was I did to make you so mad. I don't know why you're so upset about it, but I'm sorry."

"Why?!" she replied indignantly. "Why would I **not **. . . be upset?! . . . You don't fight me . . . like a real person . . . you pointlessly dodge every attack . . . and hold every bit of strength back . . . until the moment you decide to win . . . and then you do! . . . How would that . . . not upset me?!"

Sauske sighed again, thinking this over. "Well, because I don't want to hurt you."

"Are you calling me . . . **weak**?!"

"No!" Sauske replied, leaning away in fear. "Not at all! . . . The thing is, well, I don't like to fight. I only really hit someone when I have to. That way, nobody gets hurt."

Aki glared at him. "Martial arts are . . . meant to fight! . . . You should not . . . hold them back because . . . someone might get hurt."

"That's my point!" Sauske shouted back. "What right do I have to hurt anyone?! I'm supposed to protect the weak and all that, so why should I be allowed to hurt someone just because I can and they want to fight me? If I can beat them, doesn't that make them weaker than me?"

The response was a brightly glowing red battle aura from the girl as she glared daggers at the boy.

He waved his hands around to try and calm her down. "No! I didn't mean that! I just don't think I should hurt someone else just because I want to. There aren't many good reasons to really beat someone up anyway. Well, only really one, actually."

Aki, since Sauske was muttering at this point, was ignoring most of what he said, and simply shook her head. "Forget about it."

"What? The engagement?"

"No." she muttered quietly. "Forget about . . . you being an idiot."

"Oh." He said, musing over her statement. "So I guess you're for the engagement."

Her response to that was worse than being called "weak." "WHAT?!" she screamed, causing several passerbys on the street to glance up towards them. "Why would I want . . . to marry you?!"

"Wait, so you're against the engagement?"

"YES!" Aki shouted loudly, leaning in angrily at him.

Sauske leaned back, trying to stay at a non-threatening distance, before sighing in relief. "Oh, that's good. So, I guess we don't have to worry about any of that stuff, huh?"

"No, we do not." Aki replied firmly.

"Good. So, I guess we better start off fresh." Sauske replied, before taking a deep breath. "Hello, I'm Saotome Sauske."

The girl glared at him. "Are you stupid?"

"No, I just thought . . ."

"How can you . . . 'start over'?"

"Well, just forget everything . . ."

"Does that brain of yours . . . even work half of the time?"

"Okay!" Sauske said finally, sighing. "Sorry, I just figured it would be better to be friends than to go around killing each other!"

"I never wanted to kill you!" Aki said.

Sauske sighed. "Forget it."

Now it was Aki's turn to be silent. "I am sorry." she replied after a moment. "I am just not . . . in a good mood right now."

Sauske nodded. "Yeah, it's been a tough week for me too."

There was a long, silent pause.

"Well, what . . . do we do now?"

"I don't know."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure. What is it?"

"Are you really . . . against the engagement?"

"Well, yeah, I guess so. Why? Do you think . . ."

"No! . . . I was just . . . curious."

"Oh, okay. What about you?"

"I do not want to be engaged . . . but I must follow Amazon law . . . no matter what the cost."

"Oh."

Another long pause.

"I guess I better get going." Sauske continued.

"Where are you going?"

"Home, probably."

"All right then . . . Goodbye."

"Um, hey, do you . . . oh, never mind."

"What?"

"It's not important. Forget it."

"What is it?"

"Forget about it. It's nothing."

"Just say it already . . . Sauske!"

"Well, okay . . . I was, um, wondering, you know, if you wanted to be friends?"

"Friends?"

"Well, since we **are** engaged, I figured we're going to be seeing each other often anyway. It'll be better if we're not trying to kill each other every time we meet."

"I was . . . **not** trying to kill you!"

"Sorry, sorry. It would be better if we weren't trying to **beat each other up **at every turn."

A long pause.

"Yes, that might be good."

"It'd be nice to really know who you are, too."

"What does that mean?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing. It's just, well, you aren't like a lot of people I know, Aki. I don't know anyone from China except for you and your parents. I'd like to know you better."

"Yes . . . that would be nice."

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"Oh, okay."

BOOM! A crack of thunder burst over the scene. They glanced up at the clouds. "Rain." They chorused together. "Well, I got an umbrella." Sauske continued on his own.

"Huh?" Aki asked.

Sauske, reaching into his schoolbag, pulled out an umbrella, extending the handle and flicking it over his head. "An umbrella."

"I know what . . . an umbrella is." She replied dryly, before involuntarily scooting under it as the water came down. There was a pause, as Aki turned and noticed how close she was to him, and then glared up at him. "Do not get . . . any ideas."

"Uh, right, no problem." He muttered, staring back at her. "Do you want this?" he said, pointing to the umbrella.

"Why? You . . . do not want it?"

"Well, I'll be fine without it. You can just hang onto it for a while." The girl thought for a second, then nodded, taking the umbrella from him. "Well, I better get going." The boy hopped back over the wall, pulling his backpack off his shoulders. Suddenly, he stopped, and turned back to her, smiling.

"What is it?" she asked calmly.

"You." He replied, smirking. She stared at him for a moment. "You called me 'Sauske' a little while ago, for the first time."

"Of course I did." She replied dryly. "You are my 'future husband' . . . and a respectable fighter . . . Why should I not . . . address you by your name?"

"Oh, nothing." He replied, smiling more as he walked to the fire escape, the rain starting to pour down. He lifted his school bag up to cover his head. "It was just . . . nice."

Aki watched him as he began jumping down the fire escape. Standing up, she raced to the edge, holding the umbrella over herself to keep her body dry. Watching him, he trounced down onto the ground. He was already starting to get very wet, but was still in his human form.

She watched him as he reached the sidewalk. Hopping up onto the ledge again, Aki watched as he walked to the side, right next to the road.

By now, his pants were soaked through and through, his right sleeve was suck to his skin by the water, and he still hadn't changed. On impulse, she folded the umbrella, and threw it at him.

Sauske stopped by the edge of the road, when suddenly an umbrella smashed into the back of his skull. Tumbling forward, he fell onto his hands, before reaching around and grabbing the umbrella from the air. Opening it, he flipped it over himself, and pushed up off the ground in one fluid motion.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Where did that umbrella come from?"

"Who threw it?"

"Whoa, that's a big cat!"

Brushing off the people asking if he needed help, he turned his attention to the roof. There was the object of his search.

On the edge, where Aki had been sitting a moment before, covered loosely in her clothes, with two bandannas, each one tied around one of the forelegs, was the lynx, glaring down at him. He wiped some of the water from his matte of black hair, waved to the cat, and walked home.

Next Chapter: Revealed: the cause of the curses, as Jusenkyo's true powers become apparent.

* * *

Well, there's the end of one more chapter. Aki and Sauske are finally engaged for real, another curse is exposed, and I finished another day. Whoo!

Well, on with the reviews:

The Liz: Okay, the reasons the new Kuno is an idiot. 1) Has there ever been a Kuno who wasn't at least partially an idiot? 2) The main reason is that he was originally going to be somewhat similar to Kenshin Himura from _Rurouni Kenshin_, who is kind of a clumsy idiot when outside of a fightWhen I started writing this story, a couple of the main characters were going to be like characters from other shows. But as I started getting further and further along, I gave up on the idea. The only one left is Naruto, and since he doesn't know any ninjutsu or stuff like that, and his personality is pretty generic to begin with when he's **not** a ninja, it isn't much of a copy.

As to exactly why he walked into a door, again, he's like Kenshin, except dumber at times. In battle, he's skilled and quick. In regular life, he's a clumsy doofus. And as for the blond hair, that's been changed.

lee ryan: Yay! Another person likes my story! Thank you for reviewing!

G: I saved the longest for last. Let me just say this first. I know exactly where I'm going with this story. I may not have every detail planned out, names may not be set in stone, and little things here and there might be changed when I think of something new (which has happened on many occasions already). But I do know where this story is going, for a good number of chapters into the future, and after that, I have a lot of semi-specific ideas. Hell, if I didn't know where the story is going, would I be able to write what's going to happen in the next chapter?

As for getting to the point faster, I happen to like the speed the story's going at. Too many stories have gone **too fast **for my tastes. I can't begin to name how many stories I've seen where a conversation labeled as "long" during the course of the story consists of just seven lines. It drives me crazy sometimes. So, I think drawing events out a little bit is a good contrast to a lot of stuff out there. Plus, it leaves me room to fit in more characterization, and have more time to finish detailing out the plot.

Second, you know more than two curses. You know Auska's, Aki's, Ranma's, Ryoga's, Mousse's, Shampoo's, Pantyhose Toru's, . . . And, if you look carefully, you might be able to figure out more.

Lastly, I want to apologize if this response (cough-rant-cough) seems harsh or offensive. I'm glad you brought up the fact that the story might be going slow, and you want to see more curses (Another one is coming up soon! I promise!). So, thanks again for being honest. And please keep reading!

Oh, and as for the Amazons all being nuts, I think we can all agree that most everyone in the _Ranma ½_ world is at least partially insane.

* * *

_Tofu Kasumi:_

Age: 51

Occupation: Nurse at Tofu Clinic

Strength: 1

Stamina: 1

Speed: 1

Ki: 1

Aura: 0

Special Techniques: 0

(Note: Kasumi does not actively practice any martial arts.)

Kasumi's life, like Ono's, has been pretty straightforward. She met someone, fell in love, got married, had a son, and watched him grow up and go on to college. Although, that's only the biggest moments in life. The little ones have made up quite an adventure from the point of view of the average reader, as in one who does not know of the adventures of the rest of the characters. Even if she's only on the sidelines.

Being one of the oldest of the young generation during Ranma's childhood, she now starts to show her age. Most of the traditional signs of aging have become apparent, if not overbearing, on her features, from gray hair to wrinkles around the eyes and everything in-between. Nobody **sees** her as old, however, and, on more than a few occasions, people have complimented her on her retained beauty. Some things never change.

After the marriage, Kasumi began attending classes to earn a nursing degree, assisted by her husband, before becoming pregnant with her first and only son Shinji. He was born healthy, and all three have been happy with the new experiences their life was bringing them into together. After a time, Kasumi returned to her classes, received her nursing degree, and became a fully licensed part of her husband's clinic.

By this time, most people had returned to visit the doctor, unconcerned with her presence nearby. She was found to be nearly as capable as the doctor was in almost every respect, which hastened the return of the last few stragglers to return. The clinic's business boomed, and life was good.

And unlike the chain of events that follows most of the Nerima residents when things seem to get **too** good, Kasumi, Ono, and Shinji have been quite separated from serious problems rising up to bring them down. Karma, proper planning, pure luck; whatever the reason, things haven't really shown any trouble for them. Beneficial in one sense, boring in another, and simple in a third.

Kasumi has only ever had one regret through out her life since then, which was to have a daughter as well. But, most would agree, life is never perfect. It could be argued, as well, though, that imperfection is better than unhappiness. And that is what Kasumi's life has been.


	16. Return to Jusenkyo

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma ½_, nor claim to.

Chapter Sixteen: Return to Jusenkyo:

"Fallin', I am fallin' down the mountain once again. Does anybody know this man? Anybody understand how long it is the road we've come today?" Braddigan: _Fallin'._

The boat rocked gently in the waves against the dock, the boards squeaking against each other in the tide. A lone man stood amongst a throng of travelers walking past him in both directions, the ocean breeze rustling his black hair as he stared off over the waters, to the east, a single sentence prayer on his lips.

"Sakura, I swear I'll fix this, no matter what it takes."

- - -

A week later, the man slowly walked through the village, far different from how he remembered it. There were many more people, men, women, and children all mixed throughout, all about ordinary, daily activities. No special events, no unusual occurrences, no changes in anything from a village's morning routine. The man had no interest in this. It was simply another marker on his trail, an all too familiar one, with all too familiar problems.

"RANMA?!" a woman shouted, running up to the man. He glanced over, saw who it was, and continued on his march.

She ran up, jumping to him, and grabbing on tightly. "Ranma! I so happy to see you!" Shampoo shouted, her purple hair trailing around.

"Hi, Shampoo. Can't stop now. I have to go to Jusenkyo."

There was a slight pause in everyone, as they glanced over at him. It was no more a mystery to people here than back in Nerima, and the mere mention of it drew everyone's attention for a moment. But it would take more than that to hold their attention. Which is why only three others were still watching him after that moment.

Ranma continued walking, despite any odd looks he received. "Why you go to Jusenkyo?" Shampoo asked, sliding her arms down, but keeping pace with Ranma.

"Sakura's gotten cursed. I don't know how, or why, but I'm gonna' fix it. So I came here."

"But, what about . . ."

Ranma interrupted her instantly. "I DON'T CARE WHAT SAFFRON DID! IF THERE'S ANY CHANCE IT COULD WORK, I'M GONNA' FIND IT!"

Shampoo shrunk back a bit. She had forgotten that when someone is on an irrational mission, it is best to stay out of their way until all the cards have been played. She opened her mouth to say something anyway, but was tapped lightly on the shoulder with a staff.

"_No, Xiang Pu, it is best if we let Ranma see for himself. We will take him to Jusenkyo, and he can know the truth."_ Cologne said slowly, staring up towards Ranma. Shampoo sighed, nodding her head, before turning to Ranma.

"We shall go with you to Jusenkyo, Ranma." Cologne said slowly, less like a statement and more like an order.

"Fine, whatever." He muttered rudely, not slowing his march one bit, continuing through the village.

Mousse nodded, stepping back from the group, and taking his daughter Aki by the hand. As Cologne and Shampoo walked towards the edge of the village, Mousse led her to their home. _"Father, who is that man?_"

Mousse glanced at him, thinking of every last thing that had happened between the two of them, before sighing, and smiling to his daughter. _"His name is Ranma, and he is our friend. And he needs our help."_

- - -

"No." Ranma muttered softly to himself, gazing out over the Jusenkyo Springs. Shampoo, Mousse, and Cologne stood behind him, several feet back, letting him see the final effect for himself. "No." he muttered louder, before he began chanting it. "No . . . no . . . no . . . no no no No NO!"

The last one was a scream, driving him forward. His feet ran as fast as they could go, as he leapt off the cliff, jumping down to the springs below. He landed softly, thanks to years of training, and began running towards the one spring he needed now, more than anything, for reasons he didn't understand. The one spring he **knew** where it was. The one he had fallen into himself.

"Ranma!" Shampoo shouted from the cliff, almost as if she was begging him to stop, but it was too late. He was running through the graveyard now, a patch of old, dried up memories and problems, filled with bamboo poles.

- - -

"NO, DAMMIT!" Ranma shouted again, pounding the ground. This time, though, he left his hands imbedded in the soft dirt, before dropping down to his knees, tears forming in his eyes. "Dammit, no! Why did this have to happen?! There was still that chance! Even if it might make mixed curses, it might not! I have to try to find something!"

The three Amazons approached slowly, having already told the Guide everything was all right. "I am sorry, Ranma, but there's nothing to be done here."

"That's it!" the man shouted, before furiously digging his hands into the dirt, throwing globs every which way as he tunneled into the ground. "Dig! We could dig up more water! It can't be too far down! There might be a underground river nearby, and if it comes to the surface, I can . . ."

"Ranma! Please stop!" Shampoo said loudly, hopping down into the spring, and placing her arms on his shoulders. "No more!"

Cologne sighed, hopping down and walking up to Ranma, who had stopped flinging dirt, and was back to his previous hunched position. "Ranma, there are things we can explain, but there is nothing here at Jusenkyo for you. Besides, there's more to the curses than you think, and with what we know, you might not want to break Sakura's curse at all."

Ranma sighed, realizing how futile it was, and let his elbows bend, dropping him almost to the ground. He was beaten. There **were** no more cures here. All the springs had drained away, leaving soft indents in the ground, completely water-free.

Then, he began to cry.

- - -

The walk back had given Ranma time to compose himself completely, although there was nothing to keep him out of the depression that had begun to sink in. He hadn't found anything to fix what had happened to Sakura. He needed something nobody had ever been able to find. A cure.

Entering the village, Cologne led the rest to the largest hut in the area, where the Elder council, which she was a part of, held meetings to discuss the future of the village. Right now, they were discussing the future of two outsiders, and two villagers. Most of the village was completely lost on the issue. But Ranma didn't care.

Cologne opened the flap. _"I don't agree with all of this. I still think death is far beyond any sort of punishment, if punishment is even in order." _An aged, female voice said. "_We should train him completely instead, so he does not try to explain it to others."_

Ranma glanced around the room. There was a large table, which had six people sitting at it, facing them. Five were very aged women, one was an equally aged man, and one seat was empty. On the right side of the room, there was a much smaller table, where two women and another man sat, the man being the oldest by far, around Cologne's unspecified "old" age, the two women being about their mid forties.

In the center of the room, there was another table, a few feet shorter than the one with the elder council, with the people sitting at it facing the council. From left to right, there was an empty seat; a young girl Ranma would later realize was Pai, Shampoo and Mousse's youngest daughter; a woman also about Shampoo's age; a second girl, possibly twelve; and two boys, both a bit older than Sakura was, about thirteen or fourteen. Those last two were definitely not Chinese. One had sand-rock tan hair, with a bit of height over the other boy, who had on a red scarf around his face and back of the head, with dark black hair. Their backs were to Ranma, though, so he couldn't tell much else.

"_Ah, Kho Lohne, you have returned. Are you ready to return to council?" _the oldest woman at the farther table asked. Cologne nodded. _"Well, then, come and sit."_

Cologne brought up her hand first. _"I would like to ask a favor of the rest of the council, first."_

"_Oh, and what might that be?"_

"_Since this discussion does not involve Jusenkyo, I would like to ask that Ping Lao speaks to Saotome Ranma here." _Cologne continued, pointing her staff up at Ranma. _"Several people in Japan have received Jusenkyo curses from their parents, and most everyone who knows them is starting to lose their sanity. He's here to find some answers."_

The old man on the side table spoke up. _"I hope he is not looking for a . . ."_

Cologne shook her head. _"No, not anymore. We have already brought him to Jusenkyo, and he has given up on any sort of cure."_

The other six elders looked between each other, all nodding together. _"That is acceptable. Ping Lao, you are dismissed."_ Cologne nodded, and walked to her seat at the head table. The old man at the table stood up, bowed respectfully, and walked to Mousse and Ranma, who were still standing by the entrance. Mousse grabbed Ranma on the shoulder, and the three walked out, Ranma dragged along.

"_Excuse me, Meuze, but might you get me some water before we begin? I would prefer . . ."_

Mousse nodded, smiling. _"No problem, child, I will get it. Were shall I find you?"_

Ping Lao smiled. _"Meet us in my home. Do you mind if we begin without you?"_ Mousse shook his head, and Ping Lao nodded in return. _"Well, thank you, then." _Mousse nodded, walking apart from Ranma and the old man, heading towards his own home.

Ranma glanced at them, still in the dark, as Mousse began to walk off. He was about to follow, when the old man spoke up. "So, sonny, I take it you got problem's wid' curses, so I heard. Am'I right?"

The younger, Japanese man stared for a moment at the venerable old man standing there. His voice was odd, almost whistling, and very different from the way he spoke in Chinese. It almost seemed too odd to be real. "Well, uh, . . . yeah, yeah, I do. My daughter," Ranma leaned forward to step into the house, "just got cursed for no reason. She doesn't remember gettin' hit with any kind of cursed spring water, and she's never been to China."

"Mmm." The man murmured, clearing the table. Ranma glanced around the home. There was a second room off to the side, most likely where everyone who lived here slept, and in here was the living room, dining room, and kitchen. There was a large fire pit in the back, with a clay chimney rising up through the ceiling. The table was large, with colorful rugs set at strategic places around, most like to show where people were to sit. Otherwise, except for another table set around the fire, the room was pretty empty. "I take it she's healthy?"

"Huh? Whaddya mean, healthy?" Ranma asked, sitting down at the table when motioned to do so by the old man. It was clear of all dishes except for a small bowl of water on the other side of the table.

"You ottah' know what an old coot like me means, sonny! Y'know, healthy, as in **not dying**?! Is she okay?!"

"Oh. Yeah, she's fine." Ranma suddenly paused. "There's another person, though. Kite, he's the son of my best friend. He's got a curse to, and he had a heart attack the day he first turned into . . ."

"I don't care what they turn into, ya dang fool!" The old man shouted, sitting down at the table, laying a large cloak on the floor next to himself. "But that's interestin'. A heart attack, you say?"

"Are you sayin' that the curse he got caused that?!"

"I ain't insinuatin' nothin' yet, sonny. I'm just askin' questions. Now, did he survive it or not?"

Ranma nodded. "Yeah, he survived. He's fine now, but Ryoga and Akari are freakin' out about it every time he changes."

"Ryoga and Akari? I think I heard of one of 'em." The man paused, stroking his wrinkled chin. "Which one of 'em has a curse?"

"Ryoga."

There was a pause. "And that would be?"

"Huh?" Ranma asked. "I thought you didn't want to know what their curses were?"

"Not 'de kids, ya dang fool! They're the ones who wanna' hide their curses now, prob'ly. They ain't used to it yet, so they're gonna' want to keep everyb'dy quiet 'bout it. But if somebody's got a kid with a curse, they're probably tellin' others right now. And I wouldn't want ya to break a promise to some liddle kid and tell me what kinda' curse they got."

Ranma blinked. This man really knew how **everything** worked with Jusenkyo. Even how it affected the people psychologically, it seemed. Best to tread carefully. "Pig. He fell in the spring of the drowned pig."

"Oh, y'mean the small, black ones?" Ranma nodded. "Oh, those are delicious on whole grain toast." He said with a chuckle. At Ranma's glare, he turned serious again. "Anyone else born under a cursey?"

"Meaning?"

"You have any more kids, or that Ryoga-fella?"

Ranma paused. "Yeah, a son and another daughter for myself, an' Ryoga's got a second son the same age as mine."

"Oh, dat's right. You got a curse too." Ranma tensed. "Heh, and if I remember right, from what Shampoo and Mousse told me, then . . ."

Ranma leaned to dodge, but the old man was surprisingly fast. Grabbing the bowl of water, he flung the contents at Ranma, who was instantly soaked, reverting to a buxom, red-headed girl. "What was that for?!" Ranma shouted angrily.

The man just whistled. Loudly. "Now, that's a looker of a body!"

Ranma glared for a moment, before brushing the hair out of her eyes. "Don't even .. ." there was a loud crack as she snapped her knuckles, "**THINK **about it!"

Mousse entered the room. The old man just chuckled, removing his shirt, tossing it to the side, sliding off his belt, and placing the cloak over his shoulders, clasping it together at the neck. Shifting the large, patterned fabric around, he completely covered himself from neck down with the red cloak, including sitting on it. It was large enough to fit another three people it in, but nothing seemed out of place. "Now now, sonny, you wouldn't want to marry me, would ya?"

Ranma blinked. "What does that mean?"

The old man smiled. _"Meuze, do you mind?" _Mousse shook his head, smiling a bit. He walked over, pouring the kettle of hot water he had brought over the man's head. There was a seconds pause.

Ranma gasped at the sound of ripping cloth, as the man began to change. His hair grew back where it had balded, to a short, ear length cut. The gray was quickly replaced by a vibrant light blue, the wrinkles on the man's face fading, the whole body growing, especially around the chest.

And there sat a cloaked, beautiful young woman in her late teens in the old man's place.

"W-what?!" Ranma shouted.

"Venerable old man spring. I was born with it." The girl replied, in much improved Japanese.

"Venerable old man?!" Ranma shouted before thinking. "You weren't much of a venerable old man, you know!"

"Oh, right, that. Well, I figured that might be how old people talk in Japanese, so I gave it a shot. Either way, it was fun."

"No!" Ranma said suddenly. "I meant you didn't act like a venerable old man!"

"Why would I do that?" Ping Lao replied, brushing some of her new hair out of her face.

"Because you just said you fell in the spring of the drowned venerable old man!"

The girl paused, staring at Ranma oddly. "No, I never said that. Besides, what does the guide always say when someone falls into a spring?"

Mousse, adjusting his glasses, did his best to impersonate the guide. "OH NO! He just fallen into spring of drowned something! Whoever fall into spring take on body of something!"

"Right. Takes on the **body** of whatever drowned there. Not the mind." Ping Lao replied, tapping her temple for effect. She paused for a minute, noticing Ranma's brain was still fried from her transformation. Time for explanation. "Whenever you turn into a girl, you don't actually think like a girl, do you?"

Ranma paused a moment, then shook her head. "No, not really, . . ."

"Exactly! Sure, if you stayed a girl long enough, biology and psychology would take over, and then you would think sort of like a girl, with hormones and all that, but that's not because Jusenkyo makes you."

"Oh." Was the woman's only reply.

"Anyway, now that we've sufficiently wasted enough time for me to change back, answer me this. How old is your daughter?"

Ranma blinked, before saying, "Twelve years and three weeks."

"A ha. Now, how long has she had her curse?"

"About three weeks, now."

"Okay, and this . . . um, Kite, I think you said, how long has he had his curse?"

"A little over two and a half months."

"Now, what special day did he get his curse on?"

Ranma paused, thinking this over. There **was **something important about the day he came down with his curse and had heart failure when he changed. It was . . . "His twelfth birthday!"

"Bingo!" Ping Lao replied. "That's almost always the day that kind of curse appears. Sometimes a day before, sometimes a day after."

"Wait, did you say appears?"

"Yep, sure did. There's more to the Jusenkyo curses than you think." The girl tightened the cloak over herself. "When one parent, or two, has a Jusenkyo curse, the magic from the springs is passed on, like your genes and DNA and all that stuff. At age twelve, right around when puberty begins, it manifests itself, and appears as a full fledged curse."

"But wait a second!" Ranma protested. "Sakura doesn't have the spring of the drowned girl as a curse! She wouldn't have cared if she did!"

Ping Lao motioned for him to be quiet. "That's the thing. When the curse is passed on, the spring it is based on is chosen randomly from all the springs in existence **now**, not just the ones when you fell in. It can be any spring. There's only one thing that makes the curse slightly less random. And **that** is something I doubt you've heard of: Jusenkyo Symbiosis."

"Symbiosis?" Ranma asked tentatively. "What the hell does that mean?"

"If you'll be quiet, I'll tell you. Since the magic is passed from parent to child, it isn't absorbed solely through the skin. That means, the magic isn't just a surface curse; it's actually a part of them. Symbiosis measures how much of a connection lies between the magic of the springs and the person's body.

"Everyone with a curse has symbiosis. People who fall in the springs have a number between the smallest number above zero and . . . five at the absolute most, and it can sometimes vary over the course of a person's life by up to approximately . . . mmm, four or five."

Ranma looked strangely at her. "Wait, a number? What's the number for?"

Ping Lao sighed. "If you'll let me finish, I'll explain." Ranma quickly slid back and shut up. "The number represents the amount of water necessary for the person to shift between their cursed forms. The symbiosis number is equal to the percent of a person's skin that must be covered in a certain temperature of water in order to change.

"Now, when there is a child between two humans with at least one Jusenkyo curse between them with any symbiosis number, that child will have the magic added into their system, and they will receive a symbiosis number as well, when they reach the age of twelve. That number does not have to be the same as that of their parents, and is **usually **ten to twenty points higher from parents who received their curse from the springs themselves, such as yourself. Although, it can rise unbelievably huge amounts, or not at all. It all depends on chance. The only thing that can't happen is for the number to go down.

"The number also affects what curse will appear. The higher the symbiosis number, the more human-like form the person will take. For example, once the number breaks thirty, it is highly unlikely that they will receive the curse of the Niu Ho Man Maolen Niichuan Spring. (Note: The spring of the yeti riding an ox while carrying an eel and a crane.) While most animal forms remain until about seventy, the more unusual shapes slowly get weeded out. Once the numbers break ninety, only about seven or eight forms are left, almost all of them human. But there's a second effect to symbiosis as well."

"Second effect?!" Ranma asked, butting in.

"Will you **please** stop interrupting me!" Ping Lao shouted. She was in full lecture mode, and she really hated people who interrupted her. Ranma nodded dumbly. "Yes, there's a second effect.

"As the magic of the curses begins to grow to a serious part of their body, the cursed form often begins to show signs of what the curse is. For example, people with a cat curse often take on the elliptical shaped eyes of a cat, or the color or patterns of fur will often be visible in small parts of their body. These mixes can be anything from physical abnormalities to skills and senses that the person is often seen as exceptionally skilled with.

"However, the crosses with their cursed shape often go no father than simple body misproportions and senses. In their cursed form, the effects appearing on the human side will remain on the cursed side, but nothing new will appear **from **the human side. The curse then has total control. Also, as the number rises, the crosses increase in number and appearance. Since the curse is continually passed down, it increases constantly until it reaches one hundred.

"And when it hits one hundred, things go differently. At the age of twelve, the person receives a curse that falls within all the normal bounds of any other curse, which limits them almost totally to young, human forms. At the age of twelve, they take on the cursed form. Since the magic and body have fused totally, the change is permanent, and the curse is not passed on ever again."

"Never ever?" Ranma asked.

"Never ever **ever**." Ping Lao replied, shaking her head for emphasis. "The problem some people think to use is to re-curse themselves with something similar, which works, but it also just starts the process over from the beginning, back at skin–level curses. And then it has to be weeded out again through heredity."

"So, what happened to Kite?" Ranma asked, remembering his form. "He doesn't have any signs of his curse, and his body changes far more than I ever did."

Ping Lao sighed again. "My guess is, since he had a heart attack, which is quite a common occurrence in his case, is that he has a negative symbiosis number. It's not below zero, and it still has to rise from the parents' numbers. However, the body has rejected the magic, and so the curse and the body grow separately.

"Your curse is that of the drowned girl, but as you grown stronger in either form, it translates over to the other form of you. Someone with negative symbiosis does not have that. Which means, after twelve years of growing, their muscles, which the heart is one of, are still infantile, even though the body grows in size and development issues anyway. So, their heart is too weak to support the body for any long length of time, usually only for a few minutes at most, and most have a heart attack and die."

Ranma stared in horror. "D-die?!"

"Well, if they survive, and once they spend a few weeks alive in their cursed form, the heart can usually grow strong enough to support the body. And if they spend enough time in it, especially while young, they can actually build the body up to safe levels. But most people die before that happens. Since you said he was fine now, I figured he's grown a lot stronger. It should never turn out like that again, but the more he can bring his bodies to equal levels, the better he'll be. Or, at least, he should put some strength into his cursed form."

"Is that going to be passed on too?" Ranma was still visibly shaken, but recovering.

"Nope. Of the three children who've been born of parents with a negative symbiosis and risen to the age of twelve, none of them had a negative number too. We guess that they have the same chance of getting that defect as everyone else."

Ping Lao stood, keeping the cloak carefully draped around herself. Ranma looked up at her. "And what's that chance?"

"About one in a thousand."

"One in a thousand?!" Ranma shouted, jumping up. "How many people have gotten through having a curse and givin' birth to children?!"

"Well, the springs have been used since their creation over five thousand years ago, although they didn't really start being used until about two thousand years ago. There were a few thirty year breaks here and there, but otherwise, it's been pretty constant. It's just that we Amazons have only **just** gotten all the records brought together. Heck, even the Guide didn't know much beyond the act of falling in and coming out."

"Wait, thirty year breaks?"

Ping Lao nodded "Yeah, whenever something like a flood or earthquake messes up the springs, after about a year, they drain themselves away. By ten years after, the springs have completely disappeared beneath the earth. About twenty years after, the springs start to resurface with the same curse they had before. Thirty years after, everything is back to the way it should be."

Ranma just stared for a moment. "Oh." She replied quietly, rubbing her head through her red hair.

"Well, that's the gist of what you need to know about Jusenkyo, so I'll . . ."

"Wait a second!" Ranma shouted, remembering something important. "What about the musk people?! They didn't have curses unless they fell into the springs!"

"Yep, they sure didn't." Ping Lao said calmly, walking towards the other room. "Since one of the partners isn't human. Like I said, both parents have to be human. You and Ryoga could have sex and you could give birth to a child who would have a curse at the age of twelve. But a man and a monkey woman do not count as two humans, no matter what the form they posses."

The girl turned to Mousse. _"Thank you, Meuze. If you will excuse me, I should change before we train today."_ Mousse nodded, smiling under his thick glasses, before the two of them turned to Ranma. "Well, Ranma, if you'll excuse me, I have to change into some un-ripped clothes." The girl turned and walked into the next room, disappearing.

Ranma dropped back to the ground, on her knees, shuddering. Her face was pale. "Did . . . she just say I should have sex with Ryoga?!" She shuddered violently, before trying to take deep breaths and calm down.

"Now now, Ranma, don't worry about it." Mousse said quietly, sitting down where Ping Lao was sitting. "She was just trying to explain things to you. You don't have to take her examples literally."

"Yeah, you're right." Ranma muttered, calming a bit, but still shaken. "Who was she, anyway? And how did she know so much about Jusenkyo."

Mousse paused, thinking over what to say. "She is the daughter of a researcher of Jusenkyo from Japan and one of our villagers. Her father is the one who taught her everything about Jusenkyo, and brought most of the records together. Her mother was an average fighter by our standards, but the two of them were happy."

"Is she all alone?"

Mousse nodded. "Her mother died in childbirth, and her father died a few years ago. She is alone, but the entire village supports her. I have been teaching her most of the basics of hidden weapons fighting, while she develops her own abilities." Ranma raised an eyebrow at the Amazon male. "Her father had a special ability which allowed him to defeat her mother in combat, which she has inherited as well."

"And that would be?" Ranma asked carefully.

Mousse paused again, before looking up, right into Ranma's eyes. "Ranma, what are you doing down here?"

* * *

"Huh?!" Ranma said suddenly, looking up from the table. He was sitting in his living room, leaning against the table. Akane stood in the doorway, staring at him, wearing the bathrobe she kept in their room. "Oh, hi, Akchan."

"I was wondering why it was so cold. What are you doing down here? I want to sleep, and I get cranky waking up freezing."

"Oh, just thinkin' about the trip to China."

Akane sighed an all knowing sigh. "Ranma, it's time to let go. You did your best. Things turned out okay, didn't they?"

Ranma nodded, stood, and walked across the living room to his wife. Turning, they walked up the stairs together to their room. But one thought came back to Ranma's mind. "I broke my promise, though."

Next Chapter: A dream, a nickname, and a new alliance: while things seem to calm down, they only grow more potent.

* * *

And that's the end of that chapter. It's been surprising what people ask me about, and I couldn't believe nobody asked how all the kids got curses. I thought that would be the first thing people would ask about, but I guess I was wrong. And nobody has asked about who the principal was, or why Sauske hides his aura, or how come he didn't change even when half soaked with water. Oh well.

Anyway, there isn't much to really say after this chapter. I don't have any bio for this chapter, since none of the main old characters have reappeared yet, so there's not much else to say. So, on with the reviews:

kitsune-dragon-inu: Yay! Another person who likes my story!

The Liz: Yeah, Sauske is not a complete idiot when it comes to talking to girls. And as for Aki warming up to him, she is and isn't, as you'll see soon. (I am so cruelly vague sometimes.)


	17. The First Day at School

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma ½_, not claim to.

Chapter Seventeen: The First Day at School:

"And I wish I could know if the directions that I take, and the choices that I make, won't end up all for nothing." Hoobastank: _Crawling in the Dark_

Sakura gazed out over the vast plains. The sky was a dark night, but the millions of stars and the bright full moon lit up the whole area like a gray, rainy day. She stood alone, surrounded by waist high grasses, fluttering gently in a cool breeze, dressed in a plain white martial arts gi. Her hair was undone, flowing around in the wind, occasionally wisping into her face.

She was set on top of a small hill, if it could be called that, being only a hundred feet or so higher than the rest of the area, the gentle sloping ground leveling off only a short distance away. She looked for some sign of civilization, or even something different from the rest. But all around, the horizon was simply more grass. It was empty and desolate all around. Nowhere to turn, nowhere to go, that wouldn't be the same as everywhere else.

Continuing to spin, though, something caught her eye. Looking carefully, she recognized the shapes as something familiar: people! There was a large group of people out there, and upon closer inspection, she could see they were waving to her. Not just a "Hello!" wave, but a "Come here!" wave.

Glancing around again, she saw nothing else but those people and more endless grass. Making up her mind, she turned back to the people, and set off walking. She would go and meet them, and then figure out where to go next once she got there. Suddenly, she stopped.

Not because she wanted to stop, though. Something was holding her back. Whatever it was, it was pulling at her right sleeve, and pulling back desperately. Sakura spun her head, her hair fluttering in her face before back out of the way in the wind. And there she saw it.

A deep gray wolf, just hidden underneath the grass, its mouth clenched tightly onto her sleeve, and a body that was leaning back to put more force behind its pull. The ears were pricked forward, listening ahead, its eyes focused squarely into Sakura's. The tail swished slowly, keeping the beast balanced. Pulling harder, it slid the arm deeply under the grass, out of sight of anyone but Sakura.

"Stupid wolf!" Sakura grumbled, shaking her arm. "Come on, leggo'!" The wolf simply pulled more. "Just let go!" she shouted, swinging her arm madly to get the dog loose. The dog clenched its teeth more. When a large pull from the wolf caused her to stumble, Sakura glowered at it. "Forget it!" Sakura grumbled, sounding as if she had given up.

Dropping her free hand to her waist, she freed the jacket half of the gi from the belt, letting it sway in the breeze for a moment. Pulling her left arm out of the sleeve, she snatched the jacket to keep the dog from falling away. She took a few steps out, pulling on the jacket, while sliding her other arm free. Taking a few more steps, putting several feet between herself and the wolf, Sakura continued to pull on the jacket.

It was cold standing there with only a sports bra as a top, but the seventeen year old martial artist girl knew how to just keep going. Her body shivered once, but she gained control of it. The skin of her body, perfectly smooth and clean except for the small, black kanji at the base of her ribs, began pricking up, covered in goosebumps in the wind, but it did not distract her. She knew how to focus, clamping onto determination at a level of almost insane focus.

So, escaping the wolf was priority number one. Stepping back again, she turned sideways to the wolf, still tugging at her jacket. Pausing, she took a deep breath. "Want the coat? Fine, . . . take it!"

Throwing the coat, she bolted down the side of the hill as fast as she could. The jacket snapped away from her, and there was a whimper as the wolf fell over. Sakura ignored it all, making a mad dash for the people. She had to make it.

SNAP! Sakura almost collapsed to the ground when something got caught again. Turning back immediately, she saw the wolf had already caught up to her, and had now sunk its teeth into her pant leg. "Dammit! You stupid wolf! Let GO!" she shouted, kicking her leg to try to escape. But the wolf held firm. And the more Sakura snapped her leg, the tighter the teeth drew together.

There was no hesitation this time. In an instant, the belt was untied and tossed on the ground. Taking the elastic waistband, she slipped her left leg out first, before hopping out of the right leg, and stumbling to the ground. Fortunately, she held the pants firmly the whole time, and the wolf didn't shift or release. Standing up, she brushed some dirt off her white cotton panties, before pulling hard on the pants. It was freezing outside, and leaving that behind was not on her list of smart ideas. But when the wolf refused to let go, she sighed and resigned to her fate.

Stepping back as far as she could go, she turned so she was facing directly to the crowd. Most of them were staring at her, probably since she was only in her underwear by now, but Sakura ignored that. She **had **to get away from the wolf first. She took a deep breath.

The cloth slid through her hands as the girl took off running. Her feet dashed over the dirt and trampled the grass. There was a yelp from the wolf again, and remembering how fast he caught up, Sakura focused her mind and released an aura of almost twenty times her size. The giant blue flame trailed the girl as she sprinted down the hill towards the people, her only chance of salvation. The only thing that stopped her was the feeling of her arm being pulled out of her socket.

Snapping to a stop, Sakura spun her head around to look back. And there it was again. That same wolf, staring up at her. The teeth were dug into her arm, faint trails of blood rolling out of its mouth. And not just any old ordinary blood. It was **her** blood, from the wounds in her arm where the canine fangs dug in. Her head told her that there was no pain, no wound, but she could **see** it. That meant it had to be real, right?

The only thing that kept the girl standing was the self-preservation instinct. If she fell, the wolf might drop its grip and come in for a more serious bite. So, she simply kept pulling, staring fearfully at the wolf. "Can't you just let me go?"

The wolf looked up, keeping its teeth firmly in her arm, tugging at it gently. Sakura looked down, and saw the dog's eyes. They weren't cold or angry, but afraid. The wolf was afraid, and the whimpers emanating from it only further accentuated that point. The dog kept tugging, trying to pull the girl back up the hill, which Sakura responded to by pulling back towards down the hill.

"Please, just let me go." Sakura muttered.

BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

* * *

Chise ducked down at her desk, staring at Sakura. "Wha . . . what was the banging noise? Was it ghosts? Or monsters?" came the fearful voice from the girl.

Sakura shook her head. "Nah, it was just my mother, father, aunt, and uncle banging on the door to get me to wake up."

"Dang." Akemi replied, shaking her head. "It was finally starting to get good."

"I know." Hinata continued, shaking her head as well. "I wonder what happens next."

"I don't know." Sakura returned. "Every time, it always ends around there. Nowhere else."

"You mean you've had this dream before?!"

"But it's so scary!" Chise said suddenly.

The other three girls looked at her. "Scary?"

"She's running from a big wolf! How is that not scary?!"

Akemi paused, before sighing and dropping back into her desk chair. "Aw, what difference does it make? It's just a dream anyway."

"I wonder what it means." Hinata muttered.

Sakura glanced at her. "What does it **mean**?"

Akemi sat back up in her seat, glaring at Hinata. "It doesn't mean anything. Dreams don't mean things, they're just there to give your brain something to do while you sleep. They don't symbolize stuff or anything like that."

"Hey, a lot of people believe that dreams mean things! This could be something, you know." Hinata sat back, thinking over everything Sakura had mentioned.

"Oh, yeah right. It's just a dream, Sakura." Akemi brushed her hair behind her ear, glaring at Hinata. "Maybe you ought to spend your time analyzing the phone book or something for subliminal messaging instead of trying to get symbols and stuff out of people's heads."

"All right, everyone, settle down." The teacher said as he entered the room. Everyone scurried back to their seats, sitting down, and sliding up to their desks. "We have a new student starting today, who just transferred from China."

Sakura glanced up. She already **knew **who this person would be related to. She just hoped Aki was not in the same grade as her.

- - -

Sauske was going out of his mind. Class was supposed to be the one place where nothing else would have to matter. Now, it was a death zone.

They had just gotten two new transfer students. Both were from China, they were brother and sister, they had the same birthday, and one was engaged to be married to him. And the look Aki gave him when she walked past to her seat was definitely not settling. Something was on her mind, and it wasn't a nice thought.

Sauske warped back to three days ago. That was the last time he had seen Aki, when he walked away from her as she sat on the roof. Then, she threw the umbrella at him, and appeared as the lynx he had been so desperately trying to figure out. Since then, though, they hadn't seen each other. Sure, he had gone to visit Keira at Ucchan's, but not back to that Chinese restaurant. It was odd being separated from someone who you're engaged to and don't know anything about.

Now, she was sitting behind and to the left of him, which was even more unsettling. He could feel her eyes staring at him. How did he know? Because it wasn't constant. She would stare for a while, then glance away to see what the class was about, before turning back to him. It was getting more chilling every time she looked away and turned back.

Not to mention Keira was sitting behind him and to the right. She had been acting really weird since that fight with Aki, and with her out of sight just made things worse. Plus, Sauske never had much support from his other friends in class. He hadn't needed it until now, but he quickly realized that with them on the other side of the room in a clump, there was nobody around who he knew was still making sense.

Then there was Aki's brother, Chii. A very quiet, smiling person. He hadn't said anything since classes had begun, and he seemed very relaxed. The boy was a very unknown element in the entire group. So, of course, he was in the seat **directly behind** Sauske. And since all the desks in the room were now filled, nobody would be moving around anymore. The three people with the highest chance of inflicting bodily harm onto him were now safely hidden behind his back.

So, if you were wondering, he did fail his Japanese history quiz that day.

- - -

"Finally!" Sauske said happily, leaning against the tree and opening his lunch before placing it on the ground in front of himself. "It's lunch time."

Hojo nodded. Ganko placed her bento box on the ground, opening it up. "Well, Sauske, you seemed to be the center of attention today."

"Huh?"

"Come on, those two transfer students were staring at you almost the entire class. And Keira, too." Ganko grabbed her chopsticks up, placing the box on her lap. "Don't tell me you didn't notice?"

"I'm surprised you did." Sauske muttered, before speaking louder. "Yeah, I noticed them."

There was a pause. "Well, are you going to explain what happened or not?"

Sauske opened his mouth to say something, when, to his advantage, Mayu came up, placing her bento box on the ground next to Sauske's. "Hi, everybody. What's new?"

"Where have you been? You missed Sensei verbally shred Hojo when he got to school late." Ganko muttered.

"It wasn't my fault!" Hojo protested.

Ganko glanced over at him through the side of her glasses. "Oh, and your excuse **so **proved that. Who else could forget about the bus coming early to your house?"

"See, it's just like I said."

Sauske sighed. "Hojo, what she means is that that doesn't work when you live across the street from the school."

Mayu's eyes widened. "Oh man, I missed Hojo using that excuse again? Drat."

"Where were you? We just got two new Chinese transfer students today."

"Really?" Mayu asked, looking around. "I had to go to the doctor's office for a check-up. Where are they?"

Sauske, Hojo, and Ganko glanced around. "Over there!" Sauske said loudly, pointing to a small group of three people.

Mayu glanced over, and saw a girl and two boys sitting together eating. One of the boys had on a pair of thick glasses, wearing a white, robe-like shirt and the uniform pants, with long, black hair. Then, there was a girl, with dark blue hair, and a **very **well-fit school uniform.

"Wow, she's way hotter than Keira and . . . " Hojo was heard to say, before there was a loud CRACK! and the boy went sailing off behind the tree. The other three turned to see where he landed, a empty space on the ground, where he was lying unconscious, before turning to find the source of the stone.

Keira was glaring at the boy, flushed in the face with anger, before turning back to her own circle of friends.

Sauske sighed, leaning back. "Well, she's mad." He thought to himself.

Mayu leaned back over the group center to get a better look at the three new Chinese students. The third boy she couldn't really see yet, but after leaning over the food, suddenly, he came into view.

He was a bit shorter and a bit stockier built than Sauske, with an emphasis on a bit. They were very similar otherwise. He wore the same style uniform as almost every other male in the school, except slightly less presentable compared to the average student. The edges were rumpled and not completely tucked in, the top button on the shirt was already gone from the first day of wear, and even from this distance Mayu could see his belt was missing. He seemed quite talkative and cheerful, the only one of the three who was **always** smiling and laughing, and from what she could hear, his voice matched that appearance.

His face was clean, slightly rounded, and much, dare she say it, cuter than anyone else she had seen. But it wasn't the face that got to her. It was his hair, a beautiful, silver locks pulled gently back into a thin ponytail stretching fluidly down his back, with other strands dangling down along his head and along his shoulders just a little bit. Mayu watched, or stared, if you prefer, for a length of time she had no idea was. The world seemed to melt away, as she focused solely on the boy.

Sauske and Ganko, however, knew exactly how long it had been, and except for directly hitting her, nothing had worked to snap her out of her daze. Sauske glanced down. "Uh, Mayu, you do know you're **drooling** on **my **food, right?"

Apparently, that message got through, and the girl wiped her mouth, grabbed her bento box, and shoved it into Sauske's hands, saying "Take." Her eyes never wavered however.

Since his mother had prepared his lunch, Sauske did not hesitate, taking the box, thanking his friend, and began to eat before she realized what she had just done. Ganko stared at Mayu, surprised she had just done that. But Mayu paid them no mind.

After a moment, though, when the silver-haired boy turned to look in their direction, and Mayu immediately turned away, grabbing the other bento box from the ground. Snatching up a pair of chopsticks, she began to eat with a renewed fury that Ranma himself would not have been able to keep up with.

It was about halfway through the food, though, as Mayu stuffed another pile of rice into her mouth, that she suddenly irked and stopped eating, the chopsticks stuck between her teeth. She convulsed a bit, snapped the chopsticks out of her mouth, and suddenly jumped up and ran.

"Mayu, what's wrong?!" Ganko asked, as she and Sauske leaned out to see where she was running to. When the girl stepped at a nearby trashcan, throwing the lid aside, and dropping her head down into it, they had a good idea what was wrong, even without the sounds of vomiting.

The only two conscious, healthy people from their original group of four settled back to where they were before. "Well, she's never been good at keeping down your mother's cooking." Ganko said after a minute.

Sauske nodded. "Do you think she'll have to go back to the doctor?"

Ganko laughed. "Probably."

There was a long pause, as they continued to eat.

"It's kind of odd, just the two of us." Ganko said suddenly.

Sauske thought back, then nodded. "Yeah, just like all those old times."

"Yep, before Mayu moved here."

"Before we met Hojo."

"It's kind of peaceful, don't you think?"

"Yeah, it is." Sauske smiled, sighing. "I wish it could happen more often."

"Hojo's an idiot, so Keira will always be around to beat him up." Ganko glanced over at the three new students. "And it looks like Mayu has fallen head-over-heels for that kid over there in the silver hair. I have a good feeling this will happen a lot."

"Good. Because this is just . . . perfect, something a bit different from the average lunch?"

Ganko smiled; not an ordinary smile, but a content, peaceful smile. "Yeah, it is."

- - -

Sauske waved goodbye to his sister as he walked out through the halls. She waved and smiled back, before heading down to Kendo practice. The boy slung his bag over his shoulder the rest of the way, before pushing the door and walking outside.

A blur whooshed by; Sauske waved. "See you later, Keira!" he shouted, and the blur slowed a bit, turned, jumped backwards and waved before spinning around and sprinting away along a fence railing.

A voice called out. "Bye, Sauske!" The boy spun back to see Ganko, Mayu, and Hojo waving goodbye as the three separated and headed for home. He waved back, before continuing out the gate.

Sauske looked up to the sky, smiling. This was such an odd feeling. He was just going to walk home, and had nothing he needed to do or to be at or anything. Plus, he wasn't grounded. It was just a peaceful day.

Sauske stumbled a bit when he bumped into someone. "Oh, sorry." He instantly stated apologetically.

"What are . . . you doing here?!" the girl shouted.

"Huh?" Sauske looked at her face. "Aki-san? What are you doing here?"

"I asked first!"

"What?"

"What are **you **. . . doing here?"

Sauske scratched his head. "This is the way I always go home. I've walked this way since I started high school. Why are you going this way? Isn't the building you live at that way?"

"I'm not trying . . . to get home!" Aki shouted, before continuing to walk down the street, glancing around constantly. "I'm trying to find . . .a bus stop."

"Huh? A bus stop?" Sauske asked, following her. "What for? Are you going on a trip?"

"No." she snapped back. "I am walking Pai . . . home from school . . . She takes a bus home . . . so I'm going to meet her."

"Oh." Sauske continued walking with her for a moment, before speaking up again. "Who's Pai?"

"My sister." Aki deadpanned.

"Where's the bus stop?"

"In front of the . . . museum on Main street."

"I know where that is."

"Congratulations."

Sauske stepped up next to her. "Want me to show you the way?"

"If you did, . . . it would be January . . . before we got there." Aki huffed, and picked up the pace.

"Why are you so angry with me again?" he asked calmly. "Go right here." He added quietly, pointing down the street.

"Because . . . every time we meet, . . . you hide something! . . . And every time . . . what you hide makes me . . . so much angrier!" She glared at him, and began to walk away.

"What did I do?!" Sauske asked, completely shocked by her answer.

"What did you do?! . . . You . . ." Aki was cut off by another voice.

"HELLO, SAUSKE-KUN!" Keira shouted happily, bounding over a nearby fence, and landing softly on the ground in front of him. She was dressed in her full ninja gear, minus the kunai bracer. The sword **was** still there, however.

"Hi Keira." He replied, unsure if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

"What's wrong, Sauske-kun? You seem awfully quiet right . . ." her eyes noticed the Chinese girl next to him. Keira scowled in her direction. "Hello, Aki." She muttered quietly, and obviously angrily.

Aki merely nodded in reply, before continuing with, "Hello, Fast-girl." And then she began walking again.

"Excuse me?" Keira muttered, before stepping in front of her, placing her hand menacingly on her sword hilt. "What did you just call me?"

"Fast-girl." Aki replied, as if not knowing what the problem was. "You are a girl . . .you run fast . . . so, you are Fast-girl."

Keira glared at her. "Oh, how very touching. I sure hope you aren't planning on trying to kill Sauske-kun again."

"I wasn't trying to kill him!" Aki shouted almost immediately, glaring down at the slightly shorter girl.

Keira didn't blink. "Oh, sorry, is maim a better word? Or mutilate?!"

Sauske was wishing for anything in the world to interrupt things. And he got just that. "SAOTOME!" The boy turned, along with the two girls. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?! WE HAVE A DUEL, REMEMBER?!"

"Naruto!" Sauske said almost joyously, having heard the argument behind him suddenly settle. "Sorry, just trying to help a friend get to where they are going."

"I don't need . . . your help!" Aki shouted behind him, but another voice rose higher.

"Well, you're going to have to beat **me **first! You can't just keep running away!" Naruto shouted, pointing his finger at the boy.

Aki was suddenly very interested. Taking a step to the side, she got a better look at the new boy. He had blond hair, made into some sort of spiky hairstyle, with a few whiskers trailing off from under his nose out to the side. He had a dusty orange shirt on with black pants, and his fists were clenched almost as tight as his scowl, the gloves tight on his hands.

"So, I take it you want to fight now?" Sauske asked calmly, smirking, while running his fingers through his hair.

"You bet!" Naruto shouted, grinning. "I am not afraid of you, Sauske! Not now, not EVER!"

Aki leaned over to Keira. "Who is he?" she asked quietly, never turning away.

Keira glanced at her. "Hibiki Naruto. He's been trying to prove he's a better fighter than Sauske-kun since . . . well, forever."

Aki leaned back to see the blond boy again. Naruto kept shouting. "So, what are you so afraid of Sauske?! Aren't you going to come after me?!" She smiled at the corners of her mouth.

There was a slight hum and a general happy sigh from the Chinese girl. "Hmm . . . Naruto . . . kun." She murmured to herself quietly.

Keira glanced over at Aki after hearing her words. The small curl of a smile was spreading.

"All right, Naruto. If you want me to." Sauske said with a smile. The argument behind him was over. To escape from what that might lead to would be worth pounding on Naruto again. Plus, it was good practice.

Sauske shot forward, running along while sliding off his school bag. Dropping it down to one hand, he swung the bag around, hurtling it at his opponent. Naruto grinned. "I am NOT falling for that again, Sauske!" Naruto flung his left hand to his side, flinging the bag into the wall, and immediately punched with his right hand to hit Sauske before he hit him.

But Sauske wasn't there.

Sliding along the ground, his fingers waiting to dig in, he snapped to a stop. Swinging out his leg, he clutched the edge of a sidewalk tile, and used it to spin his body. And then, Naruto was falling to the ground, his legs floating in the air.

Aki's arms dropped and her eyes widened as she saw the boy fall to the ground. Some of her enthusiasm returned when the boy immediately jumped up.

"That was cheap!" Naruto shouted, but charged anyway, swinging his arm back openly to strike. Swinging out, he punched straight for Sauske.

The other boy caught his hand by the wrist, and pulled it back behind his head. Dropping down, he landed roughly on his back, dragging Naruto down with him. Rolling, he placed his feet onto the blond boy's stomach, before shoving him up and away. Naruto tumbled away, floating in the air before crashing down loudly and rolling a few times.

Aki sighed loudly, even as Naruto rose again, obviously still ready to fight.

"That all you got, Sauske?" the spiky haired boy asked, wiping his mouth with his hand.

Keira sighed, shaking her head. "God, Naruto, do you ever get it?! The fight's over. Just let it go!"

Naruto, just noticing Keira standing there, paused a moment, blushing and smiling in her direction, before shaking his head. "No! I can't give up! I'm going to beat you, Sauske!"

Charging again, Naruto swung his arms wildly to sprint at his absolute max speed. He leapt, swinging out his foot to kick Sauske.

And Sauske didn't flinch. He waited for Naruto to close the gap. Sidestepping to his right and landing softly on his left foot, Sauske spun with a renewed power, snapping his right foot out at the exact moment Naruto passed in front of himself. And so, as the top of his foot contacted Naruto's back, the assailant was sent tumbling away much farther than before, before he dropped to the ground and rolled along the sidewalk, a good fifteen meters away. And there, he stopped.

"Well, Sauske-kun," Keira began, grabbing his bag from the ground and handing it to her friend, "I guess that takes care of everything. Ready to go?"

Sauske nodded, taking his bag. "Oh, wait. Aki." The girl looked up at him. "Do you want me to show you where that bus stop is?"

Aki shook her head. "I can find it myself. . . . You should go." She was calmer than last time she was asked, but her eyes were still glaring at him.

Sauske stared for a moment, before sighing, nodding, and then walked off with Keira.

Aki walked down the sidewalk towards the fallen form of Naruto. By the time she reached him, he began to stir again. Glancing back over her shoulder, and noticing that Sauske and Keira were looking away, Aki dropped down next to the boy. Seeing him about to shout something, she slapped her hand over his mouth.

"Mwuhut agglableh huble nooblegeh?!" Naruto mumbled though her hand.

"If you are quiet, . . . I will let you talk. . . understand?" Aki said slowly, making sure he understood. Naruto nodded slowly.

Aki gently pulled her hand back. "Ow. Did you have to slap me so hard? That hurt!" Naruto rubbed his cheek. "What do you need me to be quiet for? I ought to be going after Sauske!"

"I have an . . . offer for you." Aki said with a sly smile.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Oh god, not another one." Aki tilted her head at that. "Everybody wants to train me. Look, I'm going to beat Sauske myself. I don't need you to spend all your time trying to help me win. I fight Sauske for myself; I'm not going to break that dream because somebody wants to help. I'll win on my own."

Naruto leaned up, before standing. Aki stood with him. "Fine, but I **need **. . . you to fight him better."

"Excuse me?" Naruto asked, turning to face this girl. She had a dark blue hair color, a pair of bandannas tied around her arms, one on each set between her elbow and shoulder, and a dead-serious look that had him on edge quite quickly. "Why do you **need **me to fight better?"

Aki smiled. "I do not care if you . . . win or lose against Sauske. . . . what I want is for you to . . . make him fight a different way."

"Okay, you lost me. You want to help me lose? Now why would I want that?"

"I am not saying . . . you will lose . . . But I know . . . Sauske has hidden some power . . . which he refuses . . . to explain to me . . . I want to know what it is . . . Which is where . . . you come in."

Naruto paused. She said Sauske had some hidden power. That was not good. He was **holding back **on him? Nobody holds back on Hibiki Naruto! "And I do what?"

"I teach you to fight better . . . you make Sauske draw out his aura . . . That way, you know him better . . . you fight better . . . and I finally learn his aura." She leaned in closer to him, smiling. "Do we have a . . . deal?"

"Look, if you just want to know some secret about him, just go get Haku. He can spy on him for you if you really need to know something. But I'm no spy."

"I don't want you to spy on him . . . you have to fight him! . . . I will help you get strong enough to . . . force out his aura . . . You're tough, but have . . . poor technique . . . I cannot get him to fight me . . . so I need someone he does not expect . . . to be much stronger . . . Since he sees you as weak, . . . we can catch him off guard."

Sauske though he was weak?! Naruto was angry now. Sauske was going to pay for this!

"Do we have a deal?" Aki asked again, her face only a few inches away.

Naruto stared back, unmoving, before smiling. "What's the plan?"

Next Chapter: Humans are creatures of habit, and when habits change suddenly, people notice very quickly, even if they don't understand why.

* * *

Well, that's chapter seventeen. I hope all you reader's have enjoyed it. And that you didn't actually think it would be that easy for Sauske and Aki to be real friends, now did you?

Since nobody has come back again, I still have no bios left to do right now. There aren't many more characters to go over that I can really think of, but I'll save them for when they return. So, it's time for the reviews:

The Liz: Good, the explanation made sense. Hopefully, too, it helps people start to figure out what the other curses are. I'm not saying I'll tell anyone what they are if they guess, but you might just be able to figure them out before I tell you in the story.

Shinjku: Yay! Another person who likes my story! As for whether it will be with Sauske and Aki as the final couple, I don't know. I start writing, and my mind keeps changing. It all depends on how things turn out. But, if I did know, I couldn't tell you anyway. All the people asking me for the rest of the curses would probably get mad if I did.


	18. Missing

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma ½_, nor claim to.

Chapter Eighteen: Missing:

"This world can turn me down, but I won't turn away. And I won't duck and run, because I'm not built that way!" Three Doors Down: _Duck and Run_

"What are you talking about?" Sauske asked, trying to stay calm under his friends renewed interrogation.

"Don't lie to us, Sauske!" Hojo announced, staring him down. "You know that girl!"

"What about it?"

"Are you cheating on Keira?!" Mayu interjected.

Sauske stared at her. "What does that mean?! How can I be cheating on her when we're just friends?!"

"So, you're going out with Aki then?" Ganko returned.

"No, that's not it at all!" Sauske shouted, sweating.

"Then how do you know her?!" Mayu asked angrily.

Sauske had to think fast. It was lunch on the cloudy Tuesday, he hadn't eaten yet, and his friends were on the verge of discovering the fact that he was engaged. He couldn't let that happen. Then, inspiration struck. When you can't zig, just zag instead.

"Why, Mayu? You want me to introduce you to your new crush?" he asked slyly.

Mayu instantly blushed, and slid back. "W-what are you talking about! I do not have a crush on Chii!"

"Then why are you blushing so much?" Sauske returned, gaining some confidence. Mayu's mouth moved to answer, but nothing came out.

When Ganko followed that up with, "Why are you always staring at him, then?" Sauske knew he was safe. He had deflected the subject to, ironically, Mayu. He smirked to himself. Just call it getting even for the past few weeks. When Hojo joined Ganko in questioning, Sauske breathed a sigh of complete relief.

Safety at last.

- - -

It was only fifteen minutes after school had gotten out for her, but she knew she had to hurry anyway. They were going to meet in the park, and she didn't want to miss this chance. She might not get another. After racing down the streets quickly, she turned the corner. There it was, the central park here in Tokyo. And there, she saw the boy, waiting patiently.

Dashing up to him, the boy noticed her and smiled, which she returned as she slowed to a stop. "Uh, hi, Aki." Naruto replied carefully. "So, what's the plan for today?"

"Today?" Aki replied with a slight smile. "We spar."

- - -

Sauske slid the door open carefully, before jumping into the dojo. "HA!" he shouted, thinking he got the jump on him. But no.

Naruto wasn't here either.

"Ha?" Nabiki asked, walking past the door outside, as Sauske walked back out.

The boy glanced up at his aunt, before sighing. "Sorry, I just thought Naruto was around. You haven't seen him, have you?"

Nabiki shook her head. "No, haven't seen him. So, he still attacks every day?" Sauske nodded. "Well, you never know. He might be plotting something."

Sauske laughed. "Naurto? Planning? Uh-uh, no way. He couldn't plan a meal, let alone an attack."

Nabiki smirked, nodding, before walking back to the house. "If you say so."

- - -

It had been an hour of sparring, with Aki holding back to reach just above his level. "Well, Naruto-kun . . . that is enough . . . for today." She said calmly, helping him back up to his feet.

Naruto rubbed his forehead a bit. "Really? That's all? Cause I can go for a while longer if you want. My back doesn't hurt too bad."

Aki glanced up at him, then examined the park around them. There was a dented tree from where he had crashed into it fifteen minutes ago, a park bench he had smashed into and knocked over, several fallen branches he had collided with and knocked off the trees, and a small crater where he had impacted from a hearty throw.

Now, she knew she had been holding back greatly in her technique, while not so much in strength, but looking the boy over, he seemed unharmed. He was rubbing his back now, but was otherwise only a little sweaty and dusty. Tired, but not finished. The girl smiled. "_Naruto-kun, I think this is going to work out perfectly."_

"Huh?" the blond boy asked.

"Nothing." Aki replied, still smiling. "Are you sure you . . . can keep going? . . . I won't be holding . . . back this time."

He scowled at that. "No, I'm fine." He replied coldly.

She smirked. "Then . . . let's fight!"

- - -

Aki hopped off the bus after helping Naruto aboard. He didn't look too good, she had really pounded on him. So, the bus would take him much closer to home, since it looked like he wouldn't make it out of the park alone. But Aki was both happy and sad.

Sad, because she may have just injured her trainee on the first day. It was just supposed to be a day of examination, but it ended up a full scale test of his endurance. Hopefully, he'd be better by tomorrow, or the day after. At least enough to do some light training.

Happy, because she knew exactly what to do. Naruto had lasted a long time against her attacks, taking hit after hit and not falling. She had held back some strength to move quickly and avoid every hit thrown back, but she had pounded on him pretty hard for fifteen minutes. Sauske might, **might **be stronger than her, but it would still be tough for him to win. Years of being beaten on had toughened him up.

Plus, he was strong. They had started off by having him punch her hands, and the first ones were like a raging bull. They were slow, and had very little technique behind them, meaning they were as obvious as a raging bull, but there was enough power to shove her back several feet when she was **ready** for it.

Sauske may be able to take hits like him, since he had stood up to several relentless assaults by her without falling, but Naruto could be strong enough to take him down. Now, all he needed was technique, and the boy would be unstoppable. If he could fight better, all these advantages over Sauske would become apparent.

And then her fiancé would have two choices: lose or fight. And **no way** would the Saotome Ranma she had heard about teach his son to lose.

- - -

It was a beautiful Wednesday afternoon when Keira came dashing up to Sauske. "Sauske-kun!" Keira shouted, flipping up over the fence and landing next to her friend. "How are you?!"

"Eh, okay, I guess." He replied cheerfully.

"What does that mean?" the girl asked curiously.

"Well, it's Naruto."

Suddenly, the girl's face turned dark. "That idiot again, huh? Well, I'll make him . . ."

"No, no, no, the thing is, I haven't seen him since Monday." Keira turned back, shocked. "He didn't come by yesterday."

"You mean he actually didn't attack for once?!" Keira shouted in surprise.

Sauske shook his head. "Nope. He's been missing. And he still hasn't shown up yet today either."

Keira glanced around for a second, and didn't see him. "Are you worried?"

Sauske thought about that for a minute.

"Nah, not really. It's just Naruto. If he is trying to plan something, it shouldn't be a problem."

Keira smiled, stepping slightly closer to him. "Yeah, you're probably right."

- - -

Nabiki placed the phone on the receiver gently, before sighing loudly. Walking back into the living room, she noticed a familiar form sitting on the edge of the deck, resting one arm on his knee, and letting his other leg dangle down the edge of the platform. Slinking over, she sat down next to him, leaning over to rest her head on his shoulder.

"Good news or bad news?" Brandon asked quietly.

Nabiki sighed again, staring off into nowhere. "Bad. They want one of us on another trip in two days. Beijing. And, of course, they did not give me time to talk them out of it."

"All right, then I'll go. You look like you're pretty frazzled already. And you deserve some time at home."

Nabiki shook her head slowly. "No, it is my turn. I will go." She leaned up to look him in the eye. "And there is no changing my mind."

"You sure you want to do that?"

The Japanese woman nodded, before leaning back down. "Besides, while I would rather you come along too, I do not want to leave the children in Ranma and Akane's hands every time they ram a trip down our throats."

"Nabiki, you should stay. I can go in your place, you know. And I don't mind. You said you wanted to spend more time at home. So, just stay. I'll take care of this one."

Nabiki shook her head again against his shoulder. "No, I need some time alone again. Just this one, then it is your turn. Deal?"

Brandon sighed, but nodded. "All right, but **just** this time. Next one's mine, for certain."

Nabiki just nodded, and sighed again, letting her eyes glide shut.

- - -

Wednesday came, and Sauske found himself walking the road home alone again. And, a familiar figure appeared next to him.

"Hello, Sauske-kun!" Keira shouted happily. "Any word on Naruto?"

"Nope, nothing." Sauske said with a smile. "So, I'm enjoying it all I can."

The two of them laughed.

"I got news on them." A new voice suddenly said. The boy and girl looked up, and saw a familiar Kolhotz High student standing before them, smirking. "Do you want to know it?"

"Oh, hello, Kite." Sauske said. "Sure, what's up with your brother, if you don't mind telling us?"

"Only if you do me a favor." Kite replied. Sauske nodded, and so the older Hibiki brother reached into his bag and pulled out a book. "Sakura wanted to borrow this from me, so just tell her I want it back by next week. She'll probably like it, though."

The two Furinkan students glanced at the cover. It was called _The Best Techniques Ever Made: Kendo_. Sauske took the book, before sliding it into his bag. "Yeah, that's no problem."

Kite nodded, when Keira spoke up. "So, where's Naruto?"

Kite smirked. "I didn't think he had it in him, but the squirt's got a girlfriend **and **a training buddy in one person. She's been helping him fight better. If I were you, Sauske, I'd watch out. The girl's pretty good."

"Who is she?" Sauske asked back.

"Don't know. He refuses to tell us who she is and denies that she's his girlfriend. But you wouldn't believe how happy she is whenever he pops up into view. She's almost ecstatic." Kite leaned in towards Sauske, smirking. "Plus, she's hot."

"Get your brain out of the gutter." Keira muttered angrily back. "Sauske's already has enough girl problems."

"Oh, and who caused them?" he asked, glancing at Keira and smiling his little fanged smile.

"That would be him." Keira muttered angrily, clenching the hand Kite couldn't see at her side, before starting to walk away down the street, ignoring them.

Kite watched her go, shocked, before turning back to Sauske. "Jeeze, Sauske, what the hell did you say to her?"

"Me?!" Sauske blurted out. "Don't you think it was you who might have made her mad?!"

"What did I say? I was talking about someone else. Not her." He glanced at Keira over his shoulder. "You didn't say something stupid, did you?"

"No I did not!" Sauske said loudly.

Kite suddenly got hit with an inspiration. "Oh, I think I see why she's mad. She probably thinks you don't think she's hot."

"W-what?"

Keira stopped as Kite continued. "Well, do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Do you think Keira is hot?"

Sauske turned bright red. "NO!" he shouted.

SCHING! The ringing noise of metal resounded through the suddenly quiet sidewalk. Sauske glanced up at Keira, and started staring. "Uh . . .uh oh." He said softly.

"Sauske-kun," Keira began quietly, before her voice rose to a scream, "YOU TRAITOR!"

Sauske took a step back, before turning and sprinting down the street. "Keira, I didn't mean it like that!" he shouted, running for the fence and jumping up. Kite watched as Keira raced by and hopped up onto the fence effortlessly, her sword drawn, ready to strike.

The boy blinked. "Jeeze, Sauske, you're supposed to be the kind one."

- - -

Sauske glanced carefully around himself. It was Thursday. Keira had already run past, and it didn't look like she wanted to talk to him today. He felt bad about what he had said to his friend, but it wasn't his fault. And it wasn't like he actually meant it either, it was just a spur of the moment. Then again, Keira had been acting a bit weird since that Friday where he got officially engaged to Aki. Why, he didn't know. But, it would be best to avoid her for a little while.

But Naruto **was** planning something. That was not comforting. He knew Naruto wasn't that great of a fighter, but it takes somebody good to impress Kite. He should kick up his own training for a while until he knew more.

- - -

"Hello?" a male voice asked, entering the front door of the Tendo household. "Anyone here?"

"Grandpa!" Amy shouted, running down the hall to meet the gray-haired man standing in the doorway. The man dropped down to one knee, taking his granddaughter in his arms.

"Amy!" the man said happily. "How are you?"

"Good!" she chirped.

"And you mother and father?"

"They're good!"

"And your brother?"

"He's good too!"

"Father!" Akane said, walking out into the hallway. The man rose from his granddaughter, scratching his thin mustache gently, and walking over to his daughter, giving her a hug as well. "How are you?"

"Good, good, like always." He replied, before pausing. "Where's that crazy son-in-law of mine?"

"Out in the dojo, checking on Sauske, who's training again."

"Ooo, is there going to be another fight soon?"

Akane giggled a bit. "No, he's just paranoid that Naruto's going to come after him again. He's worried he'll lose." She glanced wistfully over towards the dojo. "But, like father, like son, I guess."

"Yes, I suppose so." Soun said calmly. "So, what about my other daughter, hmm? Where did she go?"

Joseph, walking down the halls to his room, muttered, "Another business trip," before disappearing around the corner.

"Oh." Soun said to himself, before coming back to the conversation at hand. "Well, what about my other son-in-law? How's Brandon?"

"Good, he should be around here somewhere. So, watch your step." The two chuckled a bit, as Amy went back to the living room to play.

"And the rest?"

Akane began thinking back. "Auska went to visit Haku for the afternoon, and Sakura has Kendo practice."

"Ah ha. Well then, shall we have a cup of tea?"

Akane smiled. "Yes, let's."

- - -

"So, you seem to be training hard for once." Ranma observed openly, watching his son continue his push-ups.

Sauske nodded without looking up. "Naruto's been missing for a while, and it seems like he's training with someone to beat me. I figured I might as well start working out again."

Ranma nodded. "Well, at least you're training." The man turned to go out. "I wonder who he's training with?" he said quietly, walking towards the door.

"Some girl, I don't know who. Kite says he's not telling anyone who she is."

Ranma stopped dead. "Did you say 'girl'?"

"Yeah, I did. Why? Is that important or . . . WHAAA! Dad! That's heavy!" Sauske shouted.

Ranma ignored him. "Trust me, it's for your own good. When a girl starts training a Hibiki, it's bad news for everyone else." He ran to the side of the room, grabbed another weight, and laid it across Sauske's back. "Now, Do a hundred push-ups with that."

"Don't you think," Sauske began between huffs as he continued his workout, "you're overreacting?"

Ranma's answer was a simple "No."

- - -

Aki glanced at her handiwork. Naruto was progressing well, but what he had just shown her would be very good indeed. She kicked the fallen branch to examine the end. It was sliced clean through. "Naruto-kun, . . . do you have more of these?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, lots. Why?"

"You were right . . . these will help a lot."

- - -

Sakura sniffed the air as she passed through the house. There was this odd odor passing by whenever she neared Joseph's room, but she could never figure out exactly what it was. Well, it wasn't important.

She had to go bother her brother.

Slinking down the hall, she listened for any tell tale signs of training. Her father had put him on strict regimen yesterday, and with school over on this beautiful Friday afternoon, Sakura couldn't help going to watch her brother work. It would be impressive or laughable, depending on what he felt like doing.

Sliding the door open, she entered the hall, she found it was the first today, which was a rare occurrence. "So, I hear Naruto's in training. You're really bringing out the big guns this time, Sauske."

Sauske glanced over, sweat dripping down his face. "Yeah, so?"

"You must really be scared."

Sauske scoffed at that, before lowering his face down, and sliding back up. "Thirty." He counted quietly. Then, his voice picked up. "Not at all. It's just Naruto. Dad says I'm out of practice, and the fact that he's training with a girl is dangerous." He lowered back to the ground, before sliding up again. "Thirty one."

Sakura watched on in amazement. Her brother was in a handstand, balancing on each palm, with a ten kilogram dumbell plate weight placed on his feet, and doing push-ups in that position. Twenty-five was her max at doing that, mostly because she kept losing balance, but also because it was insanely hard. She would have to start doing that again, though, so that some of the ideas in that Kendo book Kite had lent her would be worth it. "Balance and strength all in one, eh?"

"Thirty two." Sauske muttered, raising back up to a fully extended arm. "It's all good as long as it gets done. And I already know it won't matter. This **is** Naruto we're all talking about." He dropped down again, before raising back up. "Thirty three."

"Don't assume that." Ranma muttered, entering the room. "I've known Ryoga a long time, and he's been able to pull some incredible tricks over me. Naruto could do the same thing to you. So you need to be ready." He hefted another weight in his hands. "And since you don't think the training here is valid, have fun."

Sauske dipped a bit under the weight that was dropped onto his feet, doubling what was already there. Shuffling his hands, he reached a new equilibrium, and was able to stretch back out fully. Then, he lowered down, mumbling "Thirty four," on his way back up. The sweat on his face grew, however.

"Do you think he'll be ready, father?" Sakura asked, walking over to the wall to grab a Kendo sword.

Sauske began do lower himself down when Ranma responded. "Yeah, he will."

"Thirty five." Sauske said through clenched teeth.

"All right," Ranma said, grabbing the weights off his feet. "Take a break for a few minutes, then come back and work just your legs."

Sauske dropped down to the floor, breathing hard and nodding.

- - -

Saturday was coming to a close. Aki slowly pushed herself up from the ground, rubbing her back. Naruto was up and next to her in a second. "Are you all right?" he asked, helping her stand.

Aki smiled. "Yes, Naruto-kun . . . I am fine . . . That was on purpose . . . to make sure you did it right." Her smile widened. "Which you did."

Naruto smiled back. "Well, now what?"

"We are done for today . . . Meet me here tomorrow." Aki slowly separated from the boy, walking down the road, still rubbing her back. Naruto nodded, standing where he was. Aki smiled to herself, before thinking, _"Soon, Sauske. I don't think you're ready for the new Naruto, and that will not be a good thing. This time, you won't win."_

- - -

Sauske leaned back, squaring up his hit. Rearing up, he slammed his fist straight down, his hand clenched, his eyes locked, his whole body flowing to swing down at the pile of wooden boards. There was a roaring CRACK! through the yard as the small stack was split deftly into two halves.

And Sauske smiled to himself, the pine feeling as tough as tissue paper. Now, he wasn't scared of Naruto at all. And with this Sunday afternoon coming to a close, there was nothing that could bother him.

"So, you've been training, huh?" Naruto said, in a much quieter voice than usual, but still with a confident volume. "You think you're good enough to beat me?"

Sauske glanced up at him, shaking his head. "Naruto, what could you possibly learn to beat me?"

"Tomorrow, after school, the baseball field at Furinkan High."

"What?"

Naruto sighed. "Tomorrow, after school, at the baseball field at Furinkan High."

"What about it?"

"Are you too stupid to get a challenge?! Meet me at the baseball field at Furinkan High tomorrow after school!" Suddenly, Naruto's voice quieted again. "And then I'll show you."

Sauske smiled, walking towards him. "I got a better idea, Naruto. Right here, right now, no holding back, winner-take-all. Huh? What do you think?"

"I think you're scared." Naruto shot back. "If you weren't, you'd be ready tomorrow."

"How do I know you aren't the coward, Naruto?" Sauske asked, turning back and returning to the boards. "You might be sneaking off to train more tonight, worried I might beat you."

"Believe what you want, but we're fighting tomorrow." Naruto slid down off the fence, onto the sidewalk, and began walking down the road. "Make sure to bring your pride, Sauske. Because when I win tomorrow, I'm taking it with me."

Sauske glared back at the disappearing form of the boy. Nothing was unusual about the way he had dressed, or carried himself, or acted for that matter; he was always too confident for his own good. But something was still bothering Sauske about his voice. "Don't worry, Naruto." He muttered to himself. "I'll be there."

Naruto was smiling to himself as he went. Aki had said to leave his new trick at home, and look as normal as possible. Be aggressive in the challenge, but even if he attacks, don't fight back. Hold every card, so he has no reason to think you're any better. And that had just been pulled off.

"Good job, Naruto-kun." Aki replied, stepping up next to him. "I do believe . . . he is thoroughly confused."

"So, what's left for today's training?"

"Rest." Aki replied. "I don't want . . . you to train today . . . your body must rest . . . before you fight him tomorrow."

"Aw, come on!" Naruto begged. "Can't we do something?!" Aki shook her head, then glared at the boy until he finished with, "Oh, all right, fine!"

Aki smiled, nodding, before continuing to walk with him down the street. _"Well, Sauske, let's see you keep your aura down this time."_

Next Chapter: While old rivals square off, Sakura meets someone new who seems to be hiding something very important.

* * *

Oh goodie! A big fight coming up again! Naruto and Sauske, at it again! It's been a while since my last big fight, but there's a bunch coming up soon, so enjoy. And, I'll admit, two more curses will be revealed very soon. Just so you know. And by soon, I mean in the next three chapters, at most. You'll just have to wait and see who it's going to be.

Anyway, on with the reviews:

The Liz: Yes, Naruto is a bit like his father, although a bit more energetic, and a bit less blaming of Sauske. And I said I wouldn't tell you what the curses are, so I can't say if Sakura's a wolf or not. Sorry.

Shinjiku: Well, I found my first die-hard fan for a couple that might happen! It's not bad or anything like that, just a bit new to me. And, like pretty much every other question I'm going to pretend to answer today, I just can't say whether or not Sauske and Aki will get together. But I'll try to make the story worth it either way.

manzanita: YAY! A new reviewer! You're right, I won't tell you what Sakura's curse is, but I can promise you that by the end of the story, you will know all about Sauske's aura, all the curses, and hopefully, a whole lot more too. As for the Neko-ken, I have to say I had never thought of it having to do with Sauske's aura, and to just answer the question, no, his aura has nothing to do with it. But I'm glad you brought it up.


	19. The Painting Girl

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma ½_, nor claim to.

Chapter Nineteen: The Painting Girl:

"It's been about a dozen seasons since the boy became a man. Now he sees the forest for the trees, now he touches just enough to feel. He's much stronger than he was just yesterday." The Mayfield Four: _Suckerpunch_

Sakura hobbled a bit as she walked. "Stupid ankle," she muttered quietly to herself. If she hadn't tripped running to school by slipping on a puddle along the street, everything would have been fine. She would be at Kendo practice, she wouldn't be walking with a limp, and she wouldn't have twisted her ankle. But now, here she was.

Stopping at the sign, she waited for the bus to roll up. Normally, she would have just run or walked to their home, or given the book to Sauske to pass off to Naruto to hand to Kite. But since Kuno-sama and the coach were set on making her rest today, she would just have to go to the Hibiki ranch herself.

She glanced up at the sky, before watching the clouds intently. They were beginning to darken, and that meant one thing: rain. Well, it could be snow, since it was mid November, and the weather was starting to get quite cold, but that was unlikely. Reaching back and feeling the contents of her bag from the outside, Sakura realized what she had feared: her umbrella wasn't there. She had her sword, and her bag, but no umbrella. Nothing to stop any water. Glancing up at the sky, she just hoped it would be a while until the rain came.

- - -

Sauske sighed to himself, standing in the middle of the baseball field. Naruto was late, and he was tired of waiting. The crowd collecting along the edge, along the small incline that surrounded the entire field, was also starting to grow restless. They had watched Sauske wander the field, Keira and Ganko give him words of encouragement, and little else. If Naruto didn't show soon, the fight would be abandoned.

Ganko leaned back against the tree. She hadn't seen Naruto for a while, since she and Sauske rarely met right after school. But she could remember every time she had seen him. There was one fight, a long time ago, maybe when they were eight or nine, where Naruto had challenged Sauske to a fight. And Naruto was waiting there a good hour before the match began, warming up the whole time.

Keira leaned calmly against the tree. She could hear the murmur of the crowds, and spot a lot of people she recognized, but there was no Naruto in sight. It was getting to the point of stupidity. That blond boy always showed up on time, only late every few weeks. And never when they agreed to meet. She twirled a kunai around her finger. If he didn't get here soon, she'd . . .

"So, you did come to fight me, huh, Saotome?!" A voice shouted from . . . somewhere. Sauske tried to pinpoint it, and the direction slowly led his eyes to the side of the school in front of him. "You better be worth the week's training I went through, Sauske!"

Naruto leaned confidently against the wall, his spiky blond hair rustling in the breeze, a yellow and black spotted bandanna tied around his forehead tightly, the ends gently drooping over his right ear. His orange shirt had been replaced with a much calmer blue-black one, although he kept the orange cargos he always wore when he went on trips. His hands were covered in the same pair of beat up fingerless gloves he always had on when he fought. And there was a smug smile that Sauske couldn't help noticing.

Sauske rolled his eyes. "Me? Since when have I ever lost to you? By my count, I have a perfect record." His eyes narrowed. "The bigger question is if you're ready for me. Are you that confident?"

Naruto almost laughed as he slowly strode down the incline, gently sliding his bag off his shoulders as he reached the bottom of the slope. Taking one of the straps in his hand, he swung the bag with all his might, and sent it sailing off across the field, to land just in front of the tree Sauske and his friends sat at every lunch, just at the base of the bank. "No, Sauske, it's just like I said. I know I can win. I have the confidence to do it. Do you have the skills to stop me?"

"I always do, Naruto. Always." Sauske took his own school bag, tossing it over to his friends, sitting on the other side of the field, where Keira caught it effortlessly. "If you want to stop being arrogant and attack me, I'm right here."

Naruto smiled back. "What? The King of Furinkan is calling me arrogant? And you're the one claiming you haven't lost!" He raised his arms in exactly the same way he always had.

"Whatever you say, Ramen-boy. Now stop dawdling and attack me." Sauske replied, raising his hands in his simple but firm stance. Normally, against Naruto, it would be loose and sloppy, since it wasn't really needed to be perfect, but his father's constant worrying had gotten to him, and his arms were snapped tight, ready to spring, with his whole body behind them.

Naruto smirked again. "Then, let's go."

Keira watched as Naruto held his pause, apparently in a form of deep breathing meditation for a few seconds. It wasn't something she wanted to see. He wasn't just arrogantly confident this time; her senses told her Naruto **was **better, and Sauske had better realize that as the blond boy suddenly charged.

Sauske clenched his fists as Naruto began to run at him. It didn't seem right. He was running as fast as he always did, holding himself as he always did, charging like he always did. How had he improved? Nothing had changed, but that was what made the odd feeling more unsettling. The nervous feeling that there was something newly powerful within Naruto, even though no outward signs showed it.

Naruto smirked more as he drew his right fist back far too openly, letting his left arm swing in front of his face to act like a shield before he would swing at Sauske. The distance closed to the proper range, and he could just notice Sauske's eyes trail towards his drawn back fist. Perfect.

Snapping his hand immediately, Naruto struck suddenly with his left hand to Sauske's face. The boy was knocked back, punched in the cheek, and disoriented. Which left him totally defenseless for the next strike, as Naruto swung with his right hand, with all the strength he could muster, bashing his opponent on the other side of the face. His whole body leaned into the follow-through, as the right hand shoved Sauske backwards, off of his feet, and onto his head as the boy crashed onto the ground, before gravity picked up and dragged the rest of his body flat against the dirt.

Naruto smiled smugly as he waited for Sauske to stand again. There was a collective gasp at the events that had just transpired; many people expected Naruto to be better, but nobody expected him to actually be **good**. Sauske had just been knocked down by two punches, and at the slow rate he began to sit up to, it was obvious there was more than a little pain to the ordeal.

Sauske cursed himself as he rolled up onto his feet. Naruto could, and would, have attacked him if he wanted to, but the blond boy waited for Sauske to stand. He was not above taking advantage of a situation when an opponent was open, to a certain degree. Neither was Sauske. The person who fell has to learn to dodge their opponents continued assault, not the opponent learning to let his rival stand. You only did that to prove how easy it was for you to win.

And Naruto was doing that beautifully.

- - -

Stepping off the bus, Sakura continued to walk towards her destination. The sky, except for the storm rolling in, was beautiful towards the sun, with bright blue sky and a few listless clouds flowing gently along, a faint, warm breeze blowing at her back. It would be a perfect day to just sit back and watch the scenery. Except, of course, for the rain approaching.

She walked slowly down the street, glancing at the occasional building or home, as the residential area turned rural. It was odd for the city to have this sort of area so close. They were only just on the edge of the city, and yet the whole area seemed to fall from a big city to a quaint village or town in only a few meters. The number of businesses were rare, the house had large amounts of space, the roads were a bit less kept up than in the city, potholes here and there. The sidewalks, occasional trees near them, were cracked and broken, holding their general shape put filled with tufts of grasses and roots poking their way through the cracks.

There was her target, just a little ways further down the road. With the sparseness of buildings, large open yards and ground in between every structure, she could see it from much further away than normal. Walking another minute or so, she turned to face the house that registered fourth in her memories chronologically. First was home, then the clinic of her uncle and aunt, then the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts, still run by her grandparents, and then here. The Unryu Ranch.

"No sense in wasting time." Sakura thought to herself, walking defiantly up to the door. The wave of smells from the area was almost intoxicating, the moist air and freshly turned soil from all around filling the air. Sakura paused, taking deep whiffs, trying to distinguish anything pertinent, but nothing came. The only aroma that was unusual was the smell of fresh bread coming from the building in front of them.

Walking calmly up to the door, she rapped loudly on it with her hand. "Just a second!" came a loud shout, before there was running through the halls. The footsteps approached, before turning away. "Hello?" a voice said, before shouting, "What?! A closet? What happened to the front door?!" After a moment, the sounds of running feet took up again, disappearing into the distance, before rushing back, and stopping in front of the door. It slid open, and the voice began again. "Hello?"

Sakura looked up at the man, smiling. "Hello, Hibiki-san!" She said cheerfully, smiling.

"Oh, Sakura!" Ryoga replied, smiling back, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry about that. I followed the wrong line again."

"That's all right." Sakura replied, smiling still.

There was a slight pause. "So, what brings you here?"

Sakura reached into her bag, pulling out the book. "I'm here to return this book to Kite. Do you know where he is?"

Ryoga nodded. "Yeah, he's out back, uh, by the far clump of trees right now. Check back there."

Sakura smiled. "Thanks." She walked off, heading around the house.

"Have a good day!" Ryoga replied, waving to her, before shutting the door. Glancing at the floor, and picking out the blue line, he began following it, back through the house to the kitchen, where his wife was pulling a kettle of hot water off the stove.

"Who was at the door?" Akari asked as Ryoga re-entered the room.

"Oh, it was Sakura. She wanted to see Kite to return a book, so I sent her out to meet him by the woods."

Akari suddenly fumbled with the kettle, nearly dropping it, before steadying herself. "Ryoga, you sent Sakura out to meet Kite? He's out there . . ." she trailed off, giving him one of those don't-you-remember stares.

Ryoga paused, thinking, before his face turned to shock, and then faded. "Oh, right. . . . Well, it's about time for him to open up a bit anyway!"

Akari just shook her head.

- - -

Naruto smirked as Sauske continued to rise. "Well, what are you going to do now, Saotome?"

Sauske gritted his teeth, brushing his mouth with his hand. "You don't expect me to lose just from that, do you, Naruto?"

"You never know." Naruto said with a fake sigh.

Sauske glowered, but rose to his feet. "This time, I won't get hit, Naruto. Try again, though, if you don't believe me."

Naruto grinned, before running up to the boy, holding his hands by his sides. When he was close, the boy hopped, throwing his knee up towards his opponent. Sauske leaned, letting Naruto glide by, before rearing up his hand, and slamming it into the small of the boy's back. The blond boy landed awkwardly, but Sauske wasn't done. Twisting, he slammed his left fist into the back of Naruto's head, then his right elbow into the side, spinning on the ball of his foot. Once he reached a three-quarter turn, he hopped, swinging his foot out.

The roundhouse kick connected directly to Naruto's face, tossing the boy away like a doll, his body floating through the air before crashing down roughly onto the dirt, sliding several feet, before coming to a stop, rolling over a couple of time, and becoming quite covered in dirt. There he stopped, as Sauske landed in a crouch, on leg swung out.

"And that's all." Sauske muttered to himself, standing slowly, and beginning to walk to his friends. Naruto was down, and the fight was over.

"WRONG AGAIN, SAOTOME!" Naruto shouted behind his opponent. Sauske spun around immediately, which was just fast enough to get a side kick in the chest, flinging him back several feet, onto his back again.

Sauske was slow to get up again. It was getting to be a problem. Not only was he hurt, he was angry. Angry that Naruto had gotten so good so fast. He was in trouble. He had trained, but it was becoming apparent that it wasn't enough. He would still win, but he wouldn't win fast. Shoving himself up, the boy glanced at his opponent, figuring out his next move. One thought came into mind.

"You can't just think I'm really going to give up that easy, Sauske." Naruto admonished, before charging again. He was perfectly fine, but Sauske was starting to show signs of injury. Time to really push him.

Sauske knew what had to happen. No more fooling around. Naruto would win if he kept up his old style. He had to strike hard now, or lose. And he would not lose. Which is where the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken came in.

Naruto, swinging in a quick jab, was surprised when Sauske ducked under, and slid closer. And then there was the hundred or so sharp pains in his stomach, before his boy was finally pushed out of reach of the flurry of fists. The boy stumbled a bit, gasping for breath, as Sauske glared at him, holding his fist out in the last punch, glaring him down.

"Like I said, Naruto. I won't get hit again."

Naruto glared, about to run in again, when there was a shrill whistle throughout the entire field. He smirked. "We'll see, Sauske. We'll see." Naruto replied, his head bobbing slightly at the sound, almost as if he was nodding to it. Then, he charged in again.

Sauske lifted his arms back, standing tall and ready for the next assault. Naruto was running faster than before. "The idiot probably thought he could win without going all out. Well, he's not going to win at all." Sauske's eyes were unwavering as a blue flow began to trail behind Naruto as the boy continued to bear down on him. Nothing would faze him.

Except for Naruto suddenly disappearing.

Naruto, sliding on the dirt, made a goofy face at Sauske as soon as he glanced down, slipping underneath the boy. He grabbed his ankles, pulling the Saotome down, face first, into the dirt again. Immediately, Naruto dug in his heels, pushing his body up off the ground, holding Sauske's ankles tightly. Stepping back, he lifted the ankles up with him, lifting the boy's thighs off the ground.

There was a satisfying CRACK! as Naruto locked his body into place. No, Sauske's back wasn't broken, but the position was probably so painful he would have rather it had and gotten out of the strain. Sauske was bent, his face smushed into the dirt, and his legs using his body as a platform to bend so much without rolling over. Naruto held him in place. He glanced down at Sauske over his shoulder.

"Are you sure I won't hit you again?"

- - -

The girl looked up, smiling at her work, as she gazed out into the forest, placing her tool down on the stand. Things were going well. She loved this beautiful day. Plus, Naruto was nowhere around. Maybe it would have been nice to go along to the fight, but it wouldn't be any different. Sauske would pull it out in the end, no matter what his "secret weapon" was. Naruto was too big of an idiot to win.

On impulse, she turned back to the house, and saw something terrible. The house was fine, but approaching was a figure. A figure she quickly recognized was Saotome Sakura, walking calmly along to the clump of trees she was at. Ducking behind the bushes, she glanced out at the new person approaching her. She couldn't get found. Not now. Sakura was looking around for any life, but when she saw the set-up, she began walking towards her location. On instinct, she grabbed the tree next to her.

- - -

Sakura approached the object carefully. They seemed odd and unique, and her nose was starting to fail her. A new, very familiar earthy smell was becoming overpowering, and she couldn't tell where he was. She knew Kite as close by. But the smell was too much for her to be anywhere but physically next to him, and, glancing around, the boy wasn't here.

So, her attention returned to the objects. "A painting easel?" Sakura muttered to herself, walking up to the stand, a tripod of wood, with a small shelf, a large canvas, about a half meter tall, and three-fourths a meter wide. The small shelf was covered with brushes of all sorts, a glass of muddy colored water at the end. On the ground, there was a small stand, with several smears of colored paint on separate little plates, some mixed, some not, and most thoroughly used. On the ground was a little box, filled with more brushes, several pencils, and a few photographs on one side.

Glancing back up at the canvas itself, Sakura stared in awe. The painting itself was barely half finished, but the scene was obvious. The center shapes resembled a deep, red-sky sunset, fading slowly over trees, which, checking beyond the painting, was the same set of trees beyond the canvas. Nothing was crisp and perfect, the colors blended together slightly like a old memory or a faded dream. The edges of the picture were still unpainted, but most of it, especially the lower right corner, had designs penciled in., from more scenery to a person leaning against a tree, gazing over the view. Along the top, a small photograph of a familiar, young girl, maybe a six-year-old, with deep brown hair was clipped to the top.

A slight scraping sound could be heard, but Sakura ignored that. "Who painted this?"

"WHAAAA!" a voice screamed, causing Sakura to jump, before a loud THUMP! sounded after that. There was a moan of pain, causing the girl to run to the location of the sound, a tree right next to her, to see what had happened.

Brushing aside the bushes, a small figure appeared, lying on the ground. "Are you all right?!" Sakura asked, rushing to the person's side. "What happened?!"

"I fell out of a tree! What do you think?!" The person shouted, leaning up. Judging by her voice, Sakura believed it was a she. The clothes and face further proved that.

"What are you getting mad at me for?" Sakura asked, helping the girl onto her feet.

The girl rubbed her arm, trying to massage the pain away. "Never mind." She muttered, starting to walk back through the bushes.

"What were you doing up there anyway?" Sakura asked.

The girl irked, before stopping and turning away. "I, uh, saw something in the tree I wanted to look at. And, I fell. Yeah, that's what happened."

Sakura watched carefully. This girl was acting strange. She followed her back to the easel. She had bright red hair, tied in a tight pigtail, reaching down to the base of her neck. Her body was thin, very frail looking, with a small chest and very childish features. She looked twelve, but something told Sakura that she was a bit older than that, maybe fourteen or so. She wore a plain cotton dress that reached almost halfway down her shins, with a light green hue and small floral patterns. The girl had no jewelry or anything like that, though, and her hands, while covered in dirt from falling, also had little speckles of paint.

The smells were completely strange to Sakura. Most everyone had a completely individual smell, something that set him or her apart from everyone else. There are little bits that can show similarities, like relatives and the like, but nothing this similar. She smelled like someone familiar, but not at the same time. There was that same earthy smell that was overpowering, but it appeared that there was more of that smell than just one person could provide. She reminded Sakura of Kite's smell, but there were many subtle differences between the two.

"What's your name, anyway?" the girl asked, standing at the painting again, not looking up at her.

"Me?" Sakura responded, walking over. "I'm Saotome Sakura."

"Oh." was the girl's muted reply.

Silence.

"And you are?" Sakura asked.

The girl paused, thinking. "Oh, me . . . uh, I'm, uh, . . . Yoiko!" she smiled, turning to Sakura as she spoke, before turning back to her painting immediately.

- - -

Sauske grunted through the pain, struggling to move. His body was stuck, and Naruto's grip was too strong to escape.

"Going to give up already, Saotome?" Naruto asked mockingly, ignoring the gasps of surprise from the crowd around them.

Sauske grunted. "Never." He mumbled, before digging his hands into the ground. Pushing all his strength down, he forced his body up, beginning to let it turn to break out of the hold.

Naruto sighed, before shaking his head. Grabbing the ankles tighter, he stepped forward, swinging his arms over his head, and throwing the boy across the field by his feet. Sauske tumbled through the air, trying to reach out and catch himself, but the pain in his back was too much. His body collapsed, and he rolled along the ground. Unlike before, though, he was up in an instant.

Blocking the pain from his mind as best he could, Sauske turned to his opponent. "Naruto, just know one thing." He began, before charging.

Naruto lifted his arms to guard, watching the Saotome approach calmly. His arms were swinging as he ran, so there was no way for Naruto to read his attack just yet. But that didn't bother him. And when Sauske seemed to disappear, that was no surprise, as Naruto's eyes immediately darted down to see Sauske sliding along the ground on his feet, crouched. No problem.

Then Sauske disappeared again.

Bringing his eyes back up, Naruto noticed the boy flying through the air, his right leg up by his left ear, before the foot shot down, crossing into his body in a powerful falling ax kick. Naruto was crushed downward, as Sauske landed and took a few more steps to slow to a stop, and turning back to his falling opponent.

Naruto collapsed to the ground, before pushing himself back up with his hands, and glaring angrily at Sauske, who returned with a stone cold glare of his own. "I'm not going to get beaten by my own style." Sauske said, finishing his previous thought.

- - -

The girl at the base of the tree smiled. Things were going quite well, considering. For one, nobody had noticed her sitting at the fight, a bit off to one corner, except for one person. And he was on her side. Second, compared to how he had been doing before, Naruto was performing well. Sauske was on the run a bit, and was starting to truly lash out with his strikes.

But only Naruto had an aura.

She watched calmly as the fight continued, both Naruto and Sauske landing blows upon one another. Sauske was starting to catch up, but he had already been hurt badly as the fight had begun. Naruto's surprise attacks caught him off guard, and so he was injured. But his moves were getting more powerful, and Naruto's remaining technique weaknesses were starting to be re-revealed to Sauske. So, while Naruto had been quite healthy before, he was beginning to take the brunt of the attacks.

And soon, they would both be very close again. They might as well have started the fight over, everything would be even.

And that's when Naruto would strike.

- - -

"So, what are you painting?" Sakura asked, walking up to the girl as she grabbed her brush back off the easel.

"What does it look like?" the girl replied coldly. "It's a landscape."

"Oh." There was a pause. "Who's that in the photograph?"

"It's Keira!" the girl shouted. "Even you should know that!"

"You know Keira?!" Sakura shouted. "And what do you mean I should know?!"

Yoiko suddenly froze. "Damn!" she thought to herself. "I need some way to get out of this before she figures everything out!" An inspiration struck her. "Kite told me all about you, Sakura." She began. "And all his friends."

Sakura glanced at her. Something wasn't right. "You know Kite?"

"Yeah! Why wouldn't I?" Yoiko responded.

"Does he come up here often?"

Yoiko thought again for a moment. "No, not really. Just me."

"Huh, that's odd." Sakura noted, examining the ground. "I finally figured out what made him always so smelly." Yoiko looked up at her. "It's this place. The soil's different from the rest of the ranch. I thought he would just forget to take a bath after cleaning stables or something, but it's right here. Something smells different right here, in this soil, and he keeps coming around smelling like it."

"Oh, heh, maybe he picks it up off me or something?'

"Who are you, anyway?" Sakura asked seriously, glaring into the girl's eyes, which she had finally left open when looking at her. "I know Kite doesn't have a sister."

Yoiko was paralyzed. Those greenish yellow eyes were so scary, driving fear into anyone Sakura decided to glare at. There was something fearful, something primal, something feral in them, and if you ever tried to defy them, it seemed like she would attack in a heartbeat. Yoiko tried to turn away, but it was hard. Summoning all her strength, she eeked out a response.

"I'm . . . uh, his, um . . . friend from school. The guest room was cluttered, so he took it and gave me his room. I come by every once in a while to paint, so he must get the smell from me."

"F-friend?!" Sakura respond, her glare breaking. "You . . . you mean, like, girlfriend? Like . . . in love?"

Yoiko, trying to figure out a way out of the situation, and finding none, simply nodded.

"But . . . but . . . you're so young!" Sakura shouted, pointing at her. "You're only fourteen!"

"Fourteen?!" Yoiko shouted. "I'm just as old as you, Sakura! You can't tell how old someone is, you can't tell the difference between smells, and you keep throwing those smells in my face every time we meet! What's up with that?!"

There was a pause, when something clicked. "Every time?" Sakura asked, glaring at Yoiko again.

The girl knew she was in for it now. Before, the glare had been bad, but this was total focus. Her eyelashes could flinch, and Sakura would be able to note that. And those green-yellow pools were the only thing she could focus on.

"You can stop lying to me, Yoiko." Sakura began, walking towards her, hand on her bokken hilt. "Now, why don't you start telling me the truth."

"Heh, sorry, Sakura." The girl replied. "Don't worry, uh, there's a good explanation for everything. Honest."

Sakura got the whole picture now, seeing who was really there. "It better be good, Kite."

- - -

Naruto slammed his fist out with all the strength he had. Sauske clamped his arms together, holding his feet firm, as the fist made contact. The block was successful, but it still sent Sauske sliding along the ground for a good ten meters before he stopped, dust flushing up into the air.

Both fighters paused, gasping for breath. Pain was the only thing that they could think of right now, both of them doing their best to stay standing. They were exhausted, and nothing was coming out with a conclusive end. The crowds were still thick, and had grown from other students coming out of clubs to watch the battle.

Suddenly, a shrill whistle came up again, sounding through the entire field. The crowds glanced around to try to find its source, but to no avail. Naruto, however, bobbed his head a tiny bit again, before grinning.

"Okay, Sauske . . . time for my . . . secret weapon." Naruto reached up, grabbing the bandanna tied to his forehead. It was yellow, with thin black speckles. Pulling it loose, he drew it down to his side, revealing a second underneath.

"A bandanna . . . is your . . . secret weapon?" Sauske asked between pants.

Naruto smirked, wheezing. "Just . . . watch." He gripped it tightly in his hand, a blue glow surrounding his whole body again. It grew in size as he began to twirl his hand, starting the bandanna spinning. After a moment, it was a yellow blur, which he then raised to his side. "CATCH!" he screamed, flinging the bandanna at Sauske.

Sauske leaned to the side as the twirling cloth came towards him. It zipped by, barely contacting his shirt, before flying off behind him. "That's all . . . you got?!" Sauske shouted, glaring back at his opponent.

Naruto smirked.

"SAUSKE-KUN!" Keira shouted. Sauske turned to look at her. "LOOK AT THAT!" she continued, pointing off to the area behind Sauske.

To the murmurs of awe in the crowd, Sauske turned his back to Naruto for a moment. There, he saw a tree and a concrete wall behind it. The tree had a deep gouge in it, about ten centimeters into the trunk, and then the bandanna had been imbedded into the concrete.

Sauske glanced down at his shirt, where the bandanna had barely grazed him. It was split almost the entire way across his stomach. He wasn't bleeding, but if he had moved an instant later, he would be.

"Hey, SAUSKE!" Naruto shouted. The boy turned back to see that same bandanna still on Naruto's head, with a whole bunch of bandannas clenched in both hands. "Let's see how high you can count!" he shouted, as his hands began to spin them into yellow blurs. Sauske took a step back, bringing his arms up to protect himself again. "Ready?!" he shouted, swinging his arms back. "GO!"

Next Chapter: The story of Kite, and the finale of the battle between Sauske and Naruto!

* * *

Well, that's chapter nineteen! I think I did a bit better this time than with the last chapter, but not great. Sauske and Naruto's fight, though, turned out well, or to me at least.

Anyway, on with the reviews:

Sleepingbear: Wow! People can actually do those vertical pushups I had Sauske do last chapter?! I just came up with it because I always saw Ranma and Genma meditating in a handstand. And I'm glad the suspense is working too. And yes, there is plenty of story to go.

Shinjiku: I'll admit last chapter wasn't as good as some of the other ones. And, I never said Sauske and Aki will be together. They might be, they might not. But, I will make the story worth it, even if they don't end up together.

CatLin-501-18: YAY! A new reviewer who likes my story! Thank you for the kind words!

nonengel: Um, yeah, that part where Keira got mad at Sauske. I meant that to be more of a joke, but I guess it didn't come out that way. It seemed sensible to me, since Sauske still doesn't know about Keira's feelings, and she's in danger of losing him, although it doesn't seem likely right now, to Aki. And compared to some of Akane, Ukyo, and Shampoo's reactions to things Ranma had done, I thought it was pretty tame. Oh well. I hope this chapter was as interesting as you thought it would be.

The Liz: Yeah, I like Naruto too. Ryoga's strength, endurance, and blind determination mixed with a bit of sanity and a more stable family, since only his father gets lost. And Sauske is a lot different from Ranma, being kind of laid back most times, and usually a pacifist. Plus, he doesn't constantly put his foot in his mouth; only every once in a while. As for Genma, well, he'll be around eventually. Just not sure when.

Ninja Girl Emi: YAY! Another new reviewer who really likes my story! I'm glad my characters came out as original, but I'm still having trouble getting all of them to be a serious part of the story (cough-Haku-cough). And no, I don't think Aki being your favorite character is scary, because she's one of my favorite characters so far too. She was the one character I **really** wanted to make different. And it looks like it worked.


	20. The Fighting Boy

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma ½_, nor claim to.

Chapter Twenty: The Fighting Boy:

"Deep inside your soul there's a hole you don't wanna' see. Every single day what you say makes no sense to me. Even though I try, I can't get my head around you." The Offspring: _(Can't Get My) Head Around You_

Yoiko, or Kite, forced her eyes to break away through a momentous force of will. Sighing deeply, she glanced around, before noticing the hill behind them, sloping down gently to the forest. "Follow me." She said loudly, throwing a thick cloth over the painting to protect it from the elements, before walking down the hill.

"Wait a second!" Sakura replied, following the girl anyway. "Where are we going?"

"To the forest."

"Because?"

Kite turned back to Sakura. "I like it there, okay?" she sighed, trying to think how best to explain this. "It's not what you think."

Sakura blinked at the small, redheaded female form of her oldest friend. "What am I supposedly thinking, then?"

Kite glanced back up at her quickly. "I don't know. But I would guess it's not very good for me."

Sakura snorted. "You think that little of me? After all, my father has the same curse as you apparently do."

"Sakura, we've known each other for seventeen years." Kite replied calmly. "I mean, maybe I don't know you perfectly, but I can guess. Besides, I know about your father's curse, and he's never dressed as a girl, has he?"

Sakura rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything. There was a small pause as the two girls continued down to the bottom of the hill, where Sakura spied a small path going through the woods. "Well, then why do you?" She stumbled a moment, cursing about her ankle, before recovering and following after Kite again.

"Promise me you won't tell anyone." Kite replied without skipping a beat.

Sakura blinked. "Huh?"

"Promise me you won't tell anyone about my curse." Kite replied again.

"Why?"

Kite's reply began with another glare, carefully avoiding Sakura's eyes, before turning back to follow the path. "I may turn into a girl, but I got to keep my image up at school. Besides, if anyone found out I turned into a little girl, not only would the names be flying, but the fights would always start with a bucket of cold water."

Sakura said nothing.

"Well?"

"Fine!" Sakura shouted, turning to examine the forest as they passed it. There was another long pause. "So, why do you do all this?"

- - -

The two boys were still facing off, both were on the verge of defeat, but only one had a trick still up their sleeve that the other didn't know about. And Sauske wasn't going to use his aura here. But his opponent was happy to continue using the one he had demonstrated only a second before.

"Hey, SAUSKE!" Naruto shouted. Sauske turned back to see that same bandanna still on Naruto's head, with a whole bunch of bandannas clenched in both hands. "Let's see how high you can count!" he shouted, as his hands began to spin them into yellow blurs. Sauske took a step back, bringing his arms up to protect himself again. "Ready?!" Naruto shouted, swinging his arms back. "GO!"

As if slashing with his hands, Naruto swung both arms in front of his body, cutting across in a blur. When his arms stopped however, his hands were no longer clenched. Instead, they were wide open, releasing a great cloud of yellow swirls into the sky. After an instant, the bandannas had spread to full size, making large curves before they turned back to converge onto Sauske.

Sauske lost count at fifty three, since he was barely halfway done with the left side, and they were racing towards him. His attention had to turn to getting through the bandanna cloud alive.

Despite his survival instinct's recommendation of running as far away as possible, he chose the one that made the most sense. Which is why he charged into the cloud. By reaching the bandannas sooner, he would be safe since they had not converged, leaving large gaps between them he might be able to slip through safely.

Sprinting, Sauske watched for the nearest attack to him. Leaning left, one blade whizzed by his ear, before he twisted back right, letting two whip by his knee and thigh. With a slight duck, another grazed his head, before he hopped to get over one by his ankles. Seeing what was apparently a large opening in front of him, Sauske's instantaneous reaction was to take the chance. Diving forward, he swung his arms up to cover his face, and let the last of the bandannas take their course, hoping the fewest possible would hit him.

He was as rewarded as punished. Two sliced his right arm, one cut into his back, and several crossed over both legs. When he crashed onto the ground, rolling forward, he shoved himself up to a standing position as soon as he was on his feet again. His reward? He was alive, and through the cloud. And now he was sprinting to the boy.

Naruto gaped for a moment as he saw Sauske fly though the huge numbers of bandannas, but quickly composed himself as he saw the boy coming. Lowering his body down, he raised his hands, readying himself for Sauske's return attack.

Sauske grimaced. Naruto didn't know what he was in for now. That was good. But those cuts **hurt**!

Naruto slid his hands to the side to prepare for where he expected Sauske's attack to come from, his right side. The black haired boy continued to charge, before something strange happened. Sauske spun around, swinging one hand out, reaching around and grabbing the blond by the yellow bandanna. Touching his right foot to the ground, he yanked his hand back, pulling several bandannas along.

Spinning back, Sauske swung around with his bandanna filled hand, smashing it into the cheek of the blond boy. Landing gently no the ball of his foot, Sauske continued to spin as Naruto reeled.

The boy pulled all his inner muscles together to lean back up from the attack, gritting his teeth through the pain in his face. After a moment, he pulled himself back up completely, only to realize why Sauske was still spinning around. The Saotome had switched legs, and lifted his right one. Hopping, he swung out with his right foot, contacting Naruto in the face.

Naruto side flipped into the ground, sliding along the dirt as the dust flowed into the air. There was a collective gasp from the crowd again at the whole train of events, but the two fighters ignored it all. Nothing but the other person mattered now, and as Naruto rose again, Sauske gritted his teeth more.

"Dammit, Naruto, how many bandannas do you have on?!" Sauske shouted.

Naruto grinned, rubbing his face before trailing his fingers over the bandanna across his forehead. "More than you'll ever know. You won't win, Sauske!" Naruto shouted, grinning at him menacingly. "Unless, of course, you pull out that aura of yours."

That line shot through Sauske like a bullet. "He knows?!" the boy thought to himself in awe. "But how?! Keira would never have told him, and my parents haven't seen him for a while, and Sakura hates him most times, Kite doesn't know . . ." Suddenly, another cold realization shot through his head. His body stiffened, and his eyes widened. Glancing down at his hands quickly, he saw a faint red glow beginning to form. Quickly, he squelched the power by clenching his fist, stamping the color out of existence.

"Well, Sauske, let's see what kind of power you got!" Naruto shouted, forcing his body to take the proper stance through all the pain that was forcing its way into his mind. He couldn't give up. Not until he won.

"I need a plan!" Sauske thought to himself. His brain began to process all the options, before something hit his mind. "Play off his weakness! Naruto may have better technique and better strength, but I doubt he trained . . ." Sauske suddenly smiled. Not the ordinary happy smile, but the evil, all knowing smile. Turning to Naruto, Sauske clenched his hand tighter on the fifteen or so bandannas he was holding.

Naruto noticed the change in expression. "What's up, Sauske? Think of a funny joke or something?"

Sauske shook his head slowly. Then, something odd happened.

He laughed. And laughed and laughed and laughed.

"You don't see it, do you, Naruto?!" Sauske shouted with glee. "This whole time, you've been walking right into my trap!"

- - -

Kite sighed to herself, glancing up at the sky again for a moment. She really didn't want to say everything, but . . . "You remember when I was twelve, I was put in the hospital for a month?" Sakura nodded. "And how I didn't want you to visit me?" Sakura nodded again. "Well, it all began that morning."

* * *

The alarm clock was ringing louder than ever before as Kite dragged himself out of bed. Nothing felt right. His heart was pounding in his head, his vision blurring. Nothing felt right. Placing his feet onto the floor, he shoved himself into a standing position. It was then that things got worse.

He stumbled across the room, his balance gone, and the pain in his head making everything seem senseless. The clothes he was wearing didn't fit anymore, even though they clung to his body through the endless sweat holding it there. The blurred vision began to grow worse, and Kite quickly realized he needed help. His mother was always downstairs by now, working on getting breakfast ready. Stomp-stumbling across the room, he pushed his door open, leaning on it as his breath began to grow weak. Pushing himself off, he began walking again, balancing for a moment.

A bad step, however, sent him careening into the wall next to the stairs. He leaned there for a moment, the pounding in his head growing worse and worse. Nothing was visible anymore. But he was at the stairs. Once he got to the bottom, everything would be okay.

Akari smiled to herself, working diligently at the breakfast for herself and her two sons. That's when she heard it.

BAM! SLAM! BAM! SMACK! CRUNCH! BOOM! WUMP!

Pausing at the first sound, and turning at the second, the woman watched in horror as a figure tumbled down the stairs, before collapsing in a heap at the bottom. Forgetting instantly what she was working on, she rushed over to see who was there. But she didn't recognize who it was.

The person laying at the bottom steps was smaller than Naruto, with piercing red hair, and more feminine features than anyone who lived in the household that young. The figure's eyes opened, gently, slowly, as Akari began wiping blood from where her head had hit one of the steps. The voice was quiet. "Mom? . . . I . . ." then it died away, the small child's voice simply cutting off.

Akari stared, before recognizing something. The clothes were Kite's. And the hair, while it was the wrong color, was tied in that small ponytail he had been growing out for the past year. Her eyes widened in shock, as the sound of footsteps came running along the hall. Remembering whom the only other person in the house was, she screamed out immediately.

"NARUTO! CALL THE HOSPITAL! KITE'S COLLAPSED!"

* * *

"After that, I spent a month in the hospital recovering from a heart attack." Kite said slowly. "The doctors had no idea what was going on. I was well nourished, showed no signs of abuse, but my body was totally undeveloped. It was if I had been born on the outside as a twelve year old with an infant heart."

Sakura said nothing.

"By the end of the month, I was healthy and strong enough to go home, but I spent another two weeks training my girl body to be safe. Then, I spent every third day, right after I came home from school, in my girl body to keep it working right." Kite sighed. "My parents were so scared that I might get hurt again, but it never happened."

Sakura waited for her to continue, but when Kite didn't, she did instead. "So, what about the painting?"

Kite took a deep breath, before continuing. "My mom thought . . . well, after my thirteenth birthday, I was pretty lax about the whole heart attack thing again, so I began skipping days. I don't know if she was still worried it might happen again or she just wanted me to get used to things, but she started me back on the three days, calling it 'Girl Training' or something like that."

"Girl training?"

Kite nodded. "She took me to get girl clothes and everything, so I could 'understand' what it was like to be a woman. Then she said I should get a new hobby, so, after refusing sewing and flower arranging, we agreed on painting. So, for three hours a week, I've been painting."

Sakura nodded. Glancing around, she sighed to herself. Her ankle still hurt, and now she had no idea how far they were from where they started. The storms were starting to get close, and it was starting to make her nervous.

Kite sighed to herself as they reached the stream. Stepping out onto the first stone, she hopped to the middle of the icy cold water, before turning to face Sakura. "All right, your turn."

There was a long pause.

"My turn for what?" Sakura asked, stepping out onto the first rock.

"Your curse." Kite replied. "I told you mine, you tell me yours."

Sakura slid back on the stone defensively. "No way!" Sakura shouted.

"What?!" Kite cried indignantly. "That's not fair! You could tell people about mine, so, in order to keep that a secret, it's only fair that I know yours!"

"NO!" Sakura shouted back, before seeing Kite's immediate response.

"Oh yeah?!" Kite shouted, crouching a little to kick a spray of water in Sakura's direction.

- - -

The girl sitting beneath the tree was suddenly very interested again. Sauske had laid a trap? It didn't seem likely.

"A trap?" Naruto asked. "Oh, yeah right! Why should I believe you?!"

"Naruto, I've been here waiting for a long time for you to show. And you ought to know the fact that Keira and I have been training together for a long time." That comment from Sauske brought a bit of flustered anger from the blond boy. "And what's the first rule of every battle a ninja goes into?"

Naruto said nothing, just watched Sauske carefully.

"Always, **always**, be prepared." Sauske said with that strange gleeful talk that seemed foreign to him only moments before. "And thanks to your overload of bandannas, you've been snipping strings that you didn't even know were there. There's just one left." Sauske took one of the bandannas into his free hand, before beginning to spin it rapidly until it blurred. "And once it gets cut, which I'm going to do right now, it's all over for you."

The girl watched the others carefully. Sauske was holding his face and expression quite well, but Naruto was starting to visibly become shaken. He was worried that this simple trick might be real. Which, upon realizing none of Sauske's friends, including Keira, looked like they knew what he was talking about, was obviously just that: a trick. But she had no way to signal Naruto again. He was now on his own. He had to be smart enough to not get caught here.

"Say goodbye, Naruto!" Sauske shouted, throwing the bandanna vertical, perpendicular to the ground, racing only a few centimeters above it, shredding grass as it trailed away.

Naruto believed him. Grabbing a bandanna from his forehead, he spun it rapidly, before releasing it to slice the other one in half. Which conveniently took his attention away from Sauske.

Punching the Hibiki in the face, Sauske knocked his opponent backwards, causing him to fall backwards towards the ground. Lifting his leg up, he smashed it down, slamming Naruto into the ground, before the leg pinned him there.

Naruto let out a small sigh, before he slipped into the silence known as unconsciousness.

The girl sighed. After all the training he had gone through, Naruto had lost again. Sauske muttered, "And stay down," as he slowly let his foot off. When Naruto didn't move, there was a small cheer from the crowd, as Keira and Sauske's other friends began to rush down the slope to help their friend.

Sauske stumbled a bit. The girl, however, stood slowly, sighing to herself, before turning to walk out of the school. "AKI!" Sauske's voice suddenly shouted. The girl turned and glanced over her shoulder. "I know you're here! You can come out now!"

Sauske was looking around every part of the field looking for Aki. The girl knew he hadn't found her. She walked on, slowly approaching the chain link fence. Spotting one last student watching back here, however, she stopped, and walked to him.

"Make sure," the girl said to him immediately, before pausing to contemplate the correct pronunciation of the next few words, "that Naruto-kun . . . gets to Dr. Tofu's."

The boy looked at her, nodded, before turning back to the field. Suddenly, he made a double take. "Aki-san?!" the boy said suddenly. "But, doesn't Sauske want to see you?"

Aki smiled, shaking her head, as Sauske screamed out her name again angrily. "Tell him . . . I left." With that, she hopped gracefully over the fence, and walked away.

- - -

Sakura hopped quickly, dodging the spray, and landing safely on the bank. Her ankle twisted a bit, though, which was not the feeling of safety she wanted. Kite glared at her. "It's only fair, Sakura!"

"FAIR?!" Sakura shouted back. "Why the hell should I tell you?! I've never done anything to you!"

"Never done anything to me?!" Kite shouted back. "Who's the person who comes around every day telling me I smell?! Huh?! Remember who did that?!"

"That's just one thing!"

"One thing done five hundred thousand times!"

"Well, I'm not telling you!"

"I'm going to find out, Sakura!"

"We'll see about that!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"FINE!"

"FINE!" Kite screamed, before kicking more water in her direction. Sakura hobbled out of the way, before taking off down the path back the way they had come. It was hard running on an injured ankle, and she knew everyone would be mad at her for doing so, but she couldn't let her curse get revealed. "Don't think I won't follow you, Sakura!" Kite shouted, running along after her.

Kite was much slower than Sakura was normally, while in his girl form at least. But with her injured ankle, and her reluctance to use her aura, their speeds were quite close. So they ran back along the entire path they had walked down together, Sakura looking for an escape, Kite looking for a way to reveal Sakura's curse **and **catch her.

And therefor, they ran about fifteen meters apart for a whole kilometer and a half.

- - -

Ranma looked up towards the empty kitchen as the phone rang. Soun was reading a paper across the room, Akane was in the Dojo practicing alone, and Nabiki and Brandon were on a walk. Standing up, he walked to the phone, picking it up off the receiver, and placing it to his ear. "Hello?" he asked calmly.

"Hey, Ranma." A voice said far calmer than would be expected.

Ranma blinked, before smiling. "Oh, hi Ucchan! What's up?" His smile was an act, though. Ukyo's tone already revealed that something bad had happened.

"Bad news. I can't say if it's true or not, but I heard it from some pretty respectable patrons here at my restaurant."

"All right, Ucchan. What is it?"

"Is Auska all right?"

"What does that mean?"

"Is Auska okay?!" Ukyo repeated, a bit more forcefully.

"Yeah, she's fine. She's here with us."

"Oh, that's good."

There was a pause over the line. "Ukyo, just spit it out already."

A sigh could be heard over the phone, as Ukyo related her news to Ranma. He took it cold.

"Okay." He replied after a moment, the smile dead and buried. "Thanks for the heads up. We'll keep an eye out."

"Uh, okay." Ukyo replied. "I'll talk to you later. And if I get anything better than a rumor, I'll call."

"Yeah. Thanks, Ukyo." Ranma replied, before closing with, "Bye." He hung the phone up on the wall, before calmly walking out of the kitchen, and through the living room, to the koi pond.

Soun looked up at him. "Ranma, is everything okay?"

Ranma shook his head. "SHIT!" he screamed, before slamming his fist through the closest rock. It smashed into dust, trailing slowly away from his hand, as he let it rest on the ground. Slowly, he stood back up, and turned to Soun. "Tell Nabiki as soon as she gets home, I need to talk to her. And I won't be here for dinner. I need to go train tonight."

Soun watched, nodding slowly with a paled face, as the man turned and walked away.

- - -

The low speed chase between Sakura and Kite was now in the city, as they ran towards the Tendo Dojo. Their impression and actions would have reminded their families of two stubborn six-year-olds, quite correctly. And seven-year-olds. And eight, and nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen-year-olds. This run made them seventeen-year-olds too.

Sakura was starting to use her aura to keep the pain away, but she didn't want to make her ankle worse.

And then came the rain.

It started slow, but Sakura knew it wouldn't take long to cause her body to change. She glanced back, before giving up on her ankle. Letting her aura flow greatly, it grew to a huge blue flame around her. Her speed increased, her pain dulled, and her focused seemed to solidify perfectly.

Kite smiled. "All right, Sakura! It's only a matter of time!" Kite taunted. "I'm going to find out . . ." Kite was cut off because she had forgotten Sakura carries her bokken with her everywhere now. And a sword is not very difficult to throw for most martial artists.

Kite groaned as she was smashed in the face by the handle of the wooden sword. She flopped backwards onto the ground, before rolling up, grabbing the sword from the ground, and resuming the chase. She rubbed her nose as she ran, but she didn't stop. Then she saw it.

Laying on the ground, there was the shirt Sakura had been wearing. Grabbing it as she ran, Kite began smiling. "All I got to do is catch up!" she thought happily to herself.

- - -

Auska was walking to the kitchen to get some water, listening to the rain tumble down outside, when she heard a loud scratching noise at the door. Sliding the door open, a great gray shape swooped in, stopping several meters inside. "Sakura?"

Suddenly, the form began to shake, spraying water everywhere. Auska leaned back, trying to block as much as she could. "Hey, hey, hold on for a second!" the girl said quickly, blocking the water as it flew into her. When the spray stopped, Auska noticed she hadn't changed forms. That was good. They were now totally out of waterproof soap. The girl looked down at the form in front of her, confirming it was her sister.

The great gray wolf, a smooth color rolling along its entire fur, the piercing green-yellow eyes, looked up at Auska with a worried glance. Auska closed the door, before sighing. "There's already a bath ready." The wolf nodded, before running up the stairs. Auska sighed, and turned to go to the kitchen. Then came a knock at the door.

Auska turned back, opening the door. A young, redhead girl stood in the doorway, holding a large bokken and a pile of soaking wet clothes. Her hair and her dress were soaked though and through. She was panting as if she had just run the marathon. And she seemed very familiar. "Um, hello. Who are you?"

"I'm . . . looking for . . . Saotome Sakura!" The girl replied between pants.

Auska smiled. "She'll be here in a minute. She went upstairs for something." The girl outside sighed. "Here, come in for a few minutes." The girl nodded, stepping inside. "Can I get you anythin'?"

"Water . . . would be nice." The girl wheezed, dripping onto the floor.

Auska smiled, nodded, and disappeared into the kitchen.

There was a short pause.

"Hello there." A different voice sounded. Kite looked up, to see Sakura, in her normal form, walking calmly down the stairs. "Need an umbrella?"

Kite sneered at her, waiting for her to come down the rest of the stairs. When Sakura was close enough, she shoved her stuff into her hands. "You dropped this."

Sakura smiled. "Thanks."

- - -

Ranma sat in the now empty dojo. Akane had finished her daily practice, so it was peaceful now. Ranma wished he had told her what was up, but he didn't know for sure if it was true. Ukyo had said it was just a rumor. He needed proof first.

"So, you need to see me?" a familiar voice sounded from the entrance to the dojo.

Ranma turned, smiling. "Hey, Nabiki." Ranma replied calmly, standing. "I need your help."

"Well, getting right down to business, are we?"

"Yeah." Ranma replied. "I need you to find something out for me."

"Well, it'll cost you, unless I like it. Like always." Nabiki said with a smile.

"It's worth it. Ukyo called me with a rumor today."

"Ah, the joys of rumors. Since when do you put faith in them."

"When they involve Happosai." Ranma said colder than he ever wanted to again. "Ukyo says he's back. I want to know for sure."

Nabiki's eyes were wide. The two stood in silence for a moment. "Two days, Ranma. Then I'll know for sure." Nabiki turned to leave, thinking over everything that happened. "Should I call Ryoga to tell him you're going to visit tonight?"

"That'd be nice." Ranma replied.

Nabiki nodded. But she stopped at the door. "What did Akane say?"

Ranma sighed. "I haven't told her yet. I'll tell her tonight when I get back."

Nabiki nodded again. "Don't worry, Ranma. We'll keep an eye on Auska.'

Ranma said nothing as his sister in law left the room. He simply screamed curse words towards Happosai in his head.

Next Chapter: A snippet of a kendo match, a martial artist confronts a trainer on matters of secrecy, and a dangerous rumor is validated or disproved.

* * *

Well, that's the end of chapter twenty. I do hope all you readers are happy now. I told you Sakura's curse. If you thought that telling me things don't have any effect, this should change your mind. I was planning for Sakura's curse to come forward much later, but since you wouldn't stop asking to know what it was, I stuck in the dream and then this. So I hope you're happy now. Seriously, I do hope you're happy with the story.

And now, the reviews:

Paige Crews: YAY! A new reviewer who likes my story!

Shinjiku: You are never going to let me live this down, no matter how long this story goes, are you? Well, that's okay. I don't see why **nobody** can see Sauske being with Keira, but it's your opinions, not mine. And, I don't know why anyone hasn't mentioned any other possible relationships. (P.S. I'm glad the last chapter came out better.)


	21. Cracked Seals

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma ½_, nor claim to.

Chapter Twenty-One: Cracked Seals:

"You were counting on a freefall. You laid your bet: I would lose all. Chalk up one less crucificion. I kicked that sick, old addiction!" The Exies: _My Goddess_

Aki walked calmly, ignoring the world around herself as she left. Sauske would be after her any moment now . . . no, wait, he was dragged away by several friends asking about her. When her "fianc" was finally free, he'd probably rush out to find her long gone, even after telling her to wait for him to meet with her. Like she would really give him the chance to do that. She wasn't so blind to not notice he was very aggravated with her, and therefor, the best action would be to let him cool off. There was always tomorrow.

She walked deftly out the front gate, and down the road to the bus stop where her sister got off.

What he was mad about, she would just pretend she didn't know. There were many reasons she was mad at him, but only one he would be mad at her about. "Why did you tell Naruto I had an aura?!" he will shout. "I told you before, I don't have one!" Maybe not those words, but that's what he'll say.

And the second one is a total lie.

So, her conscience was clear. If Sauske was going to lie about his aura, she would just have to figure it out herself. And that's just what she was going to do. And if he doesn't like it? Tough.

CHINK!

Aki paused, staring at the large kunai imbedded in the ground in front of her. The handle was angled based on the direction it was thrown from, and with it facing in the direction it was heading, that meant the person who threw it was directly in front of her. Following the invisible line of the path the knife took, she traced it back to its source.

There, crouching on the fence next to her and a bit ahead, Aki saw the thrower. Kuonji Keira, dressed in that outfit she wore the day they met. If it could be called that, being made up of a pair of pants and a black undershirt. "Oh," Aki began sarcastically, "You dropped a kunai . . . in the ground here." Reaching down, she wrenched the blade from the ground, before casually tossing it to the girl.

Keira snatched it easily, never turning her eyes away. Her glare was serious and cold, as she snapped the kunai back into its place on her arm bracer. "You have no idea what you're doing to Sauske-kun, do you?"

Aki raised an eyebrow. "No. Enlighten me."

Keira scrunched her forehead, before continuing. "First, you attack him. Then, you try to kill him, . . ."

"I did not try . . . to kill him!"

Keira ignored her, continuing without pause. "Then you use Naruto to force out Sauske-kun's aura!"

Aki smirked. "So, he does have an aura?"

The girl paused, sighing, before brushing her brown hair back. "Yes, he does. Not that you care."

"Oh? . . . You think I don't care . . . about Sauske?"

"No, you don't." Keira replied calmly. "You've only cared about yourself. You get mad when he beats you in a fight because you have to marry him. Then, when he won't tell you something because he doesn't want to, you send others to attack him! You've mercilessly assaulted him, and toyed with his head whenever you felt it would help!"

"I don't remember . . . toying with him." Aki replied, beginning to walk down the sidewalk again.

Keira waited. Aki passed by, and was walking away with her back to the ninja when she replied. "The day you two got engaged, on the roof." Aki paused. There was a long silence. "You two talked for a while, agreeing to be 'friends'."

Aki turned her head back, glaring at the girl. "You were spying on us?"

Keira shook her head. "I followed Sauske-kun." Aki turned her body the rest of the way around. "He said he had something to do, and since it was obvious it was about you, I followed. He had already told me he didn't have anything to do and that he could come and visit the restaurant, I knew it had something to do with you."

Aki smirked. "Jealous?"

"More than you know." Keira replied without hesitation. Aki blinked, staring back. "You come out of nowhere, and get engaged to the one person I care about, and then treat him like dirt. And what has he done to you? Gone out of his way to try to fix things, that's what he's done. But you don't care! He hasn't even realized that I care about him, but he's doing whatever it takes to get you to be a friend! How can I not be jealous?!"

Aki let her eyes glance to the side, but said nothing.

"You just don't **care**! I've cared about him for a long time! We may have our fights, some of them can be really bad, but I know he cares about me too! He knows I'll accept him however he comes, and I know whoever he loves is up to him! But you don't care! You don't know what he's been through, what he's suffered through! All you care about is your own damn self!"

Aki turned back, glaring at the ninja. Keira's face was slightly flushed, a piece of a tear in one eye, but Aki noticed no other signs of emotion. "Like I said . . . I never said . . . I don't care about him."

Keira snorted, before sighing. "Whatever you say." She stood, turning to race down the fence. "Oh, and let me tell you one thing before I go. Just know that what you're searching for is buried deep. If you want to dig it up, you will eventually. But once you do, you'll be too far down to escape what you find."

Aki shook her head. "I take it you know what his aura does, don't you?"

"Not completely." Keira replied. Aki glanced at her questioningly. "A few years ago, I saw it, and he's explained it, but I wasn't against it."

Aki snorted. "Oh, I'm sure you . . . didn't fight him . . . when he used it, . . . fast-girl."

"No, I didn't." Keira replied cold. "Because, back then, I wasn't nearly as strong as I would have needed to be. Today, I might just be able to get out of the fight intact. If I had fought him back then, I'd be dead right now." With that, she turned away, and raced down the fence, disappearing in a moment.

- - -

Sauske grumbled to himself. He was still in a bad mood since Monday. After Naruto unceremoniously revealed that he knew about Sauske's aura, and was supposed to draw it out, he knew Aki was the girl he had been training with. Aki was the only person who wanted to see his aura. And that was why he was trying to find her.

Racing past the front gate, he caught sight of the blue haired Chinese girl walking slowly down the road. Seeing her, he took a deep breath to calm his nerves, and began jogging down the sidewalk after her.

Aki glanced back once, but otherwise ignored the sound of the boy approaching behind her. Soon, Sauske stopped jogging, now next to her, and began matching his pace with the girl. Aki glanced over at him once, smiling pleasantly. "Hello, Sauske." She said.

Sauske snorted. "Hello, Aki-san."

"Something wrong?"

"Like you don't know." Sauske mumbled angrily.

"Excuse me?"

Sauske took a deep breath, trying to keep calm. He had to remember that she didn't know what his aura was. And he was set on keeping it that way. "You sent Naruto to attack me."

"Attack? . . . No, I trained him . . . and sent him to . . . **challenge** you." Aki replied calmly. "**You **. . . accepted the challenge."

"You also sent him to get my aura out." Sauske retorted. "Right?"

Aki turned to him, staring him down. "Are you angry . . . that I did?"

Sauske met her gaze cold. "No. I'm angry that you won't just let it go."

"Then tell me . . . what your aura is."

Sauske turned away, sighing. "I can't do that, Aki-san."

"I'll trade you . . . technique for technique."

"Why are you so interested?" Sauske replied.

"Why are you . . . so secretive?"

The boy shook his head, clenching a hand. "You don't get it, Aki-san. There's a reason I can't tell you, and so I'm not going to."

Aki huffed. "Sure . . . you're just saying that . . . so I leave you alone."

Sauske glanced back, shaking his head again. 'That's not it. It's just that . . ."

Aki ignored him. "You're hiding something . . . from me, and won't . . . tell me what it is!"

"Well, yeah, but I have a reason, because . . ." Sauske was beginning to show some tones of aggravation, but was interrupted again.

Aki knew she was doing exactly what Keira had said. But she was trying to push Sauske's buttons, since the small bits she had seen were red. And red meant anger. So, it was time to drive him on. "Don't you get it . . . Sauske? . . . I've been open with you . . . you want to know something, ask! . . . But you are hiding something from me! . . . Is that what you call . . . friendship?!" Aki paused to let that sink in. Sauske was obviously, hit by that, his face lowering, and a shadow seeming to pass across his face. "I'm not the one . . . hiding away! . . . you are the one . . . who . . ." The last pause was not because she needed to figure out how to say the next line in Japanese.

It was because she had been thrown into the wall.

Gasping for breath, she glanced up to see Sauske charging straight at her. She was about to scream, when her voice froze.

WHAM! Both of Sauske's hands imbedded into the stone along both sides of her head, the cracks spreading through the wall, all behind her body. Aki was pale, staring into the flaming eyes of her fiancé, before her eyes saw what else was there.

"Will you just shut up and listen to me, Aki?!" Sauske shouted into her face. "I told you, I have a reason I can't use my aura! It's dangerous! If I use it, someone gets hurt, and that usually means someone besides me! If you keep this up, I won't be able to hold it in! So shut the hell up about it already!"

Aki's eyes didn't move, staring fearfully at the boy's sudden change. Sauske seemed to calm down a bit, before he saw something. His left arm, sheathed in a thin red glow. His eyes darted to the other arm, and saw that same sickening red light flowing over his arm.

Aki, however, saw something more sinister. Her eyes, being much more attuned, saw not only the sheath on his arms, but the faint red glow coating his whole body. It had no form, no shape. The boy was alight with a pale flame; raw, uncontrolled power was dripping from every part of his body. It was thin, the aura not nearly strong enough to be called a usable battle aura, but it was close. **Very** close.

Sauske's eyes widened, and he took a deep breath. Slowly, he pulled his arms from the wall, bits of gravel and sand trailing off his hands, dropping down to the ground. His arms dropped to his sides, and his head drooped as well. He clenched his hands, trying to stamp the color away faster, but it still took a moment for the whole color to fade from sight.

The girl could hear her heart pounding in her throat. Keira wasn't joking. The heat from that thin flow would have been enough to make her sweat, but her shock at the boy's change wouldn't let her. And then, after the boy slid away, the power simply retracted itself. After several seconds, the glow had completely disappeared.

The boy, however, was not in a good mood yet. "So close." He thought to himself. "I almost lost it. Any more and . . ." he shuddered at the thought. He opened his mouth slowly to speak.

Still leaning against the wall, Aki was unable to hear the boy. "What did . . . you say?"

Sauske braced himself, swallowing, before slowly looking up at the girl. "I'm . . . sorry." He said softly, his eyes afraid and timid.

After a minute of standing there like that, Aki slowly began to lean herself off the wall. "It . . . it's okay." She replied. "I . . . I'm sorry." She replied.

Sauske nodded dumbly, and began to follow the girl as she walked along the sidewalk again.

Aki glanced back a moment later, and saw where she had hit the wall. There was more than the two hand holes where the boy had shoved his hands through. The wall had a small depression where she had been thrown into it, and the cracks were spreading a good meter and a half around.

- - -

Sakura ducked, letting the swing slice over her head. Her opponent was skilled, but not the right kind of skilled. He could hold his sword well. He just couldn't move fast enough.

Stepping aside, she let another attack from her opponent whiz by, before stepping forward. Stabbing, she swished the blade over his head, before dropping it down, knocking the boy to the ground.

"Stop!" the referee shouted. "Point and match to Furinkan High!"

The crowd cheered as the other boy stood, and Sakura and he returned to their place. They bowed to each other, and then separated, returning to their sides. Peeling away her helmet, Sakura's face was instantly seen as all smiles. The rest of the team was cheering her as she came back, including the captain, Kuno-sama. Glancing up into the audience, she could see her uncle Brandon, her aunt Kasumi, and her other uncle Ono. There was a single empty seat next to them. But she quickly lost sight of them as the rest of the team made it up to her.

"Great job, Sakura!"

"You did it!"

"We won!"

"Take that, Kolhotz!"

That reminded Sakura. Glancing up into the stands, she saw them, Kite and Naruto, waving to her. She smirked evilly at them, which they returned, before all three broke out into chuckles.

"Congratulations, Saotome-san." A new voice she half-recognized had said. Glancing up, Sakura saw the man it came from.

"Oh, uh, Principal Kuno!" she replied, taking a small bow. "Thank you."

"Hey, maybe next time, you'll let me get a fight in." Kuno Tabakatsu said smiling.

Sakura smiled, blushing. "Sorry, Kuno-sama."

"Now, son, you chance will come. It is only fair for Sakura to be given her turn." The principal replied.

The boy nodded, smiling at Sakura. "Yeah, don't worry about it Sakura. You did great. That's what we wanted. You're a great fighter."

Sakura blushed more. "Th-thanks."

- - -

Sauske stood with Aki, unsure whether to leave or stay, after that near outburst of his aura. He stared off across the street, waiting for the bus to come silence.

Aki, having calmed back down after Sauske's assault, was back to her cool, confident self. But she couldn't help but glance over at him. His small sampling of aura was incredible by comparison. He was obviously still holding it back when it appeared, but it had reached completely around his body, and started to trail off before fully forming.

Slowly, a low rumble came up along the streets. The two teens glanced in the direction it was coming from, and then saw it. The bus slowly rolled up the road, before slowing as it approached. With a slight jolt, it stopped at the sign, and the door swung open, clicking aside in a moment. With the door open, a stream of men and women, in various styles of dress ranging from expensive suits to school uniforms to a girl in dusty traveling clothes came off in a near constant stream. Seven people later, a young girl hopped off, squeaking happily, and rushing over to Aki.

The older girl grabbed her in a hug, smiling. _"Hello, Pai! Is everything good?"_ The little girl slid back, nodding enthusiastically, and smiling happily.

Sauske took a good look at the little girl. She had short, black hair, or short by Amazon standards, reaching only down to her shoulders. It was tied back loosely, with some ribbons tied in for decoration. She wore white robes similar to the ones that man named Mousse had. Her small backpack was slung over one shoulder, and her face had a pair of thin glasses crossing them. The lenses were thin and flat, though, so they seemed to be for decoration instead of optical correction.

Aki looked up at the boy, as several more people slowly came walking out. "Sauske, this is . . . my younger sister, Pai."

The boy blinked as the little girl looked over at her. Her steel gray eyes and perfect black pupils watched carefully, before she looked up at Aki with a questioning glance. Aki nodded. The girl looked back in surprise. "Um, it's nice to meet you, Pai." Sauske said slowly, before bowing to the girl. The girl nodded, smiling happily, and bowing back.

"Sauske!" another voice shouted cheerfully, as a different girl came bounding down the steps of the bus. The boy looked over, and saw a particular redhead with the famous two pigtails rushing over.

"Auska!" Sauske replied, as his little sister rushed up to her. "What are you doing getting off here?"

"That's what I want to know." Joseph replied in a slightly annoyed tone, walking off the bus behind Amy.

Auska turned back smiling. "Well, Sauske's here. We can all walk home together!"

Sauske smiled, before turning back to Aki. "Uh, Aki, this is my little sister Auska, and my cousins, Joseph and Amy." He pointed each one out as he spoke.

The three new children turned back, seeing the Amazon girl glancing at them. "Wow! That's Aki?!" Auska said in shock. "I was always wondering who that was."

Aki blinked. "What do you . . . mean by that?"

"Well, Pai always got off here, and I kept forgettin' to ask who ya were." Auska replied calmly.

"Well, Sauske, looks like you got the lucky break, huh?" Joseph replied slowly, just enough to let Sauske translate it in his head.

Amy turned to him, smiling. "Oh, come on, brother, I think she seems nice. Don't go making jokes about her."

"I wasn't joking this time. I mean, really . . . wow is the only real word for that."After a moment, the boy turned, grinning evilly at Sauske, and found him pleasantly blushing up to his forehead.

"_Well, Pai,_" Aki interrupted, trying to ignore the people talking in a language she couldn't understand, "_We have to stop by the store to pick up things for Mother._" She turned to the others. "Well, this is . . . goodbye for now . . . It was nice to meet . . . you all." The older girl turned, and waited as her sister bowed to her recent friends, especially Auska, before the two of them turned, and started walking down the street.

Sauske nodded, tacking on, "See you later," before turning himself, and leading the other three back towards the Tendo Dojo.

Auska glanced back, and simply said, "That's pretty amazing."

"Huh?"

"Oh, Pai. Not only is she the sister of your fiancée, . . ."

"Please don't remind me of her right now."

Auska continued uninterrupted. "But she's so smart. She almost has all the kanji I know down, she's skipped ahead a grade to be in my class, and she's mute."

Sauske paused, turning back to his sister. "Huh?"

"She's a mute. Ya know, she can't talk."

"She can't?"

"Nope." Auska replied.

Joseph sighed. "She said it's been this way since she was born. Something about a trade off for some power she was born with."

Sauske glanced back at the girl. Something was odd with her. Since they had started talking, she had been staring at Sauske constantly, not just to see him, but to examine him. It gave him a bit of a chill, but he got a bigger one from glancing and noticing Aki again. If he had let loose . . .

"Sauske?" Amy replied, looking back.

"Huh?" The boy turned back, and noticed the other three several steps ahead of him, looking back.

"Are you coming?"

The boy blinked, then nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

- - -

Aki glanced down at her little sister. "_Did you see anything else about him?_"

The girl shook her head, before sliding a notepad and a large marker out of her sleeves, shacking them back so she could write. After a moment, she turned the sign to show to Aki. "_No, it is like I told you. He has no red or blue aura._"

"_How is that possible?_"

Squeaky-Squeaky! "_I do not know. The amount of focus to pull them in too much for me would be very stressful._" Squeaky-Squeaky! "_I saw a few twinges of red at a moment or two, but **no** blue. None at all._"

"_That is odd._"

Squeaky-Squeaky! "_Why is he afraid of you?_"

"_Afraid **for **me?_" Aki corrected.

Pai shook her head. Squeaky-Squeaky! "_Afraid **of **you?_"

The two girls looked back together as the other four were just about to disappear out of sight. Aki didn't notice anything seriously wrong with the way he acted, but if Pai could see the spikes, then . . . "_I don't know._"

- - -

Nabiki sighed as she walked back up to the house. It was bad enough that she had to leave Sakura's first kendo match in the middle. But someone had information she had to follow up immediately. Now, the sun was starting to set, and as she approached her old home, the tension was mounting. The only thing breaking it in any way is that there was no doubt anymore. The truth was set in stone. Now she just had to work up the courage to tell Ranma.

Stopping at the door, she took a deep breath. She just couldn't take that next step, open the door and walk inside. She wanted to, she knew she needed to, but she just couldn't do it . . . No, there was no turning back. Ranma **had** to know. For everyone's sake.

Sliding the door open, Nabiki stepped confidently inside. "I'm home!" she called in the loudest voice she could muster, which, at the time, was barely above talking words. Slipping out of her shoes, the woman walked into the living room.

"Hey, Nabiki!" Akane replied cheerfully, watching her daughter and niece draw together at the table. "Where have you been?" Ranma, standing in the doorway of the kitchen, glanced up at her, smiling along with his wife.

Nabiki let her head drop a bit, before sighing. "Ranma, can I talk to you alone for a minute?"

Ranma, a bit shocked, nodded, and followed the woman out into the hall. Akane glanced up, looking between the two people, her smile gone. After they disappeared, she stared at the empty doorway, when her daughter looked over to her.

"Mommy? What's goin' on?" Auska asked.

Akane realized what it was they were going to be talking about, before turning back to her daughter. She forced out a smile, and her voice wavered as she spoke. "Oh, it's nothing." There was a pause. "So, what are you drawing this time?"

Auska blinked, then smiled, before sliding the paper over.

- - -

Nabiki sat glumly at the end of the dojo, letting her legs dangle over the edge like she had seen Ranma and Akane do so often. She wanted to do something, but there wasn't anything left. She could hear the sounds of soft footsteps coming up behind her. There were only two people who would be doing that at this time.

Stopping next to her, the person dropped down to the ground, sitting next to Nabiki, letting their legs dangle over as well. "Is something wrong?"

"No, not really." The woman replied slowly.

Bandon sighed. "Nabiki, you are a very bad liar when you are upset. What **is** wrong?"

Nabiki paused, before sighing. "You know Happosai is around, right? Well, we know for sure now. He's here in Tokyo."

"Nabiki, you should not worry about that. Nothing like last time will happen to Auska. We are going to be ready this time."

"That's not it!" Nabiki said suddenly, before sighing. "I'm not worried about Auska. I'm worried about . . ." her voice failed her suddenly, before she could finish her thought.

"Amy?" Brandon replied quickly, before following it with "Joseph?" Nabiki gave a general nod through both responses. "You should not be worried about them, Nabiki. Ranma and everyone else will be there to protect them. Besides, I do not think Happosai would be interested in them."

"He went after Auska. Who knows what he wants."

"Martial artists. Auska was the daughter of two very talented fighters. That's what he wanted. Akane told me he tried to get Sakura or Sauske if he could, but that was impossible. So, he chose Auska."

Nabiki sighed. "I guess."

"It will be okay, Nabiki." Brandon said with a smile, reaching around her shoulder with his arm, and leaning over onto her shoulder. "I swear."

"Um, sorry, but have you two seen Ranma?" Akane asked from the doorway.

The two people sitting at the edge looked up. Nabiki was the first to respond, however. "He's your room, calling the rest of the gang."

Akane nodded, and disappeared out of the dojo.

- - -

Akane gently slid the door open to her room. There was Ranma, sitting with his body facing away, hunched over the phone. "Yeah, Ukyo? It's Ranma. I got good news and bad news . . . He's back, no doubt about it. Nabiki's even got proof. There's no question he's back in town . . . The good news? We're going to be ready this time . . . That's what I was thinking. Got any free days? . . . Four days? No, that's fine. It's no big deal yet. He's been strikin' to the other side of town for now . . . yeah, okay. All right, bye, Ukyo."

Akane sat down on the bed as Ranma hung up the phone. "Ranma?" The man spun around. "It's true, isn't it?"

Ranma paused, then nodded. "Yeah, Akane. Happy's back."

Akane sighed, nodding, falling into deep thought.

"You okay?"

"I'm more worried about you."

"Eh?"

"I don't want this to be like last time. You were in the hospital for two weeks. I don't want to go through that again. After almost losing Auska, and then almost losing you, . . . it was too much."

Ranma sighed, before smiling. "Don't worry, Akchan. He's going to be surprised with the new stuff I have waiting for him. I won't be worried about anything new he can come up with. I got the geyser, along with everything else, much better than before."

Akane nodded, sighing. "Just be careful."

"Always."

Next Chapter: The recollection of the fight between Happosai and Ranma, nine years ago.

* * *

Whoo! Chapter 21 done! And the re-edit of the story is complete. And all I can say about that is FINALLY! I hope to never do that again, since I spent almost twenty or so hours getting it done. Nothing's really changed, story wise, or at least those things that have come up. I mostly just fixed grammar and spelling problems, and got rid of some old author's notes and things like that. (I just wish someone had told me chapter 17 repeated itself a little earlier!)

Anyway, it's time for the reviews:

Paige Crews: YAY! Another reader who likes my story!

nonengel: Yeah, I know the way Naruto lost was a bit weird, but once I had thought of it, I couldn't think of anything else. So, I kept it. I'm glad the fight was good, though.

The Liz: Yeah, Sakura was a wolf. I figured most people knew that when I put the dream in, so I guess it wasn't much of a surprise. And yes, Kite's going to have to work really hard to get it out of Sakura.

But I think Sakura's got the worse of the two curses. Yes, Kite turns into a girl, loses almost all of his strength and size, and it almost killed him, but he's still human. Sakura turns into a wolf. I would rather turn into some odd human form than an animal, because at least then I'm still human. (Plus, some people might think she's a werewolf or something, too.)

As for Happosai, he's, um, old. Very old. And as you can tell by this chapter, no, he's not dead.


	22. Blasts from the Past

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma ½, _nor claim to.

Chapter Twenty-two: Blasts from the Past:

"You said it couldn't be done, told me that it's the kind of battle that just couldn't be won." Disturbed: _Droppin' Plates_

Her feet ran as fast as they would go. There was no stopping, no slowing, as she raced along the streets of Tokyo. He couldn't be much further up ahead, and once she caught him, he was done for. What he was doing was beyond unquestionable. Whatever his reasons, whatever he would say, whatever he would offer or do to her, none of it would change her mind. He would **not** get away with it.

There were a pair of running footsteps behind her, following almost perfectly. Those two were young, but they had been trained well, and it was showing. She smiled a bit at that; it was all worth it. She would give it all up for them, and for the little girl she was going to save. Her little girl. **Her **youngest daughter.

Sliding above the ridge, she looked down. And there he was. "HAPPOSAI! Let her go!"

The old man looked up, along with the young girl walking along with her. She wasn't bound, coerced, or threatened in any way. But the woman knew that didn't matter. Happosai was taking her away, and if she didn't stop him, she might never get her daughter back.

Happosai looked at the girl, who was giving him a questioning glance, and nodded. The girl jogged over to her mother calmly.

Akane, seeing her daughter coming back, dropped down to her knees and grabbed her in a hug. "Auska! Are you all right?!"

The five-year-old hugged back gently. "Of course, Mommy. Why wouldn't I be?"

Akane leaned back, staring at her daughter, a small tear running down her face. "Nothing." She wiped the tea away, then turned back to the two people running with her. "Bring Auska home. I need to have a 'mature' conversation with Happosai-san."

Sauske nodded, and Sakura glanced evilly at the old man standing in the field, but picked up her little sister, and the three went running off, Auska casting a curious glance back at Akane. She didn't understand what was so bad.

Once they were out of sight, the kindly mother act died immediately. "Happosai." Akane muttered calmly, before turning to him. "You stupid BASTARD!"

"Akane, there is no reason to get mad." He replied calmly. He had been acting like this for far too long.

"Shut it! You tried to take my daughter from me! I'm going to make you pay for that!"

Happosai sighed. "I asked kindly. You refused, Ranma refused, Sakura and Sauske refused. Auska was the only one who agreed."

"Agreed to what?!" The woman shouted, walking towards the man menacingly.

"To train with me." The man pulled out his pipe, lighting the end of it a taking a big whiff. "I am getting old, Akane. I have done what I can to end some of my vices, but it is not enough! I need an heir, someone to teach my skills to!"

"So you pick a defenseless little girl?!"

"I picked her because she was willing. You know I have been doing what I can to change. You helped me do so. I may not be perfect, but I am better than I was! But my skills cannot simply be written down and handed to someone else!"

Akane spat to her side. "I don't care! I'm not letting you take **my** children on a training trip for several years with some psycho pervert!"

Happosai sighed, before staring wistfully at the sky. "Would you rather Ranma had not gone on his training trip? Would you rather he be a weakling too?"

Akane snarled, "We made a promise to keep them out of the same **crap** we went through as kids. We know how to train, and we'll do it ourselves! We don't need to drag someone away from their family for years just so they can fight!"

"So, that's why." The man muttered. "You're afraid of being left all alone like Nodoka was, aren't you?"

Akane was taken aback by that, before growling, "Shut it!" and charging at him. "You're going to pay now!"

Happosai turned to face the woman, as she began charging for him, watching carefully for her attack. She was ten feet away when . . .

THWOCK! Happosai was sent rolling away when a foot imbedded itself into the side of his face. "Don't you **ever** try to take my kids from me, you f---in' BASTARD!" Ranma screamed, landing softly on his feet, glaring down the fallen form of the man.

"R-Ranma?" Akane asked, sliding to a stop.

"Akane, stay back! I don't want ya hurt!" the man replied, watching Happosai rise slowly.

Akane shook her head immediately. "No! I'm a martial artist too, Ranma! I can fight!"

Ranma turned to her, his eyes pleading. "Please, Akane! You ain't ready for him." Akane turned to the side, staring at the ground. "Please?!"  
Akane sighed. He was right; she wasn't nearly strong enough to beat Happosai. All she could have really hoped for was to buy time for Ranma to get there to fight in her place. It didn't feel good either way, though.

Happosai brushed the dirt off of his shirt. "You want to fight, Ranma? Fine." The man lifted his arms gently, twirling the pipe in his fingers.

"You say you've matured, old freak?!" Ranma muttered, clenching his hands. "But you're still a frikkan' perv, and I won't let you take someone against their will!"

"Auska agreed to . . ."

"SHUT IT!" Ranma screamed, running for Happosai, a bright red glow following behind him. Jumping, the Saotome kicked his foot out, aiming for the old man's head again. Happosai slid aside, before kicking off the ground, driving the pipe into his opponent's chest.

Ranma slid back, grasping his ribs. It didn't sting too badly, but now he was all the way back next to Akane.

"MOM! DAD!" Sauske shouted, as he and Sakura ran back towards them along the field, each carrying a thick wooden staff.

Akane turned to them, along with Ranma, before she noticed something. "Where's Auska?!"

"She's with Aunt Kasumi and Uncle Ono!" Sakura shouted.

"STAY BACK!" Ranma shouted. The two children stopped. "This fight is way beyond ya. I need ta' do this alone!"

"But . . ." Sakura began.

"No buts!" Ranma shouted, before turning to his wife. "That means you too."

Akane glared at him. "I'm not going . . ."

"Happo Fire Burst!" Happosai exclaimed, throwing a large explosive at the two adults.

Ranma saw the fireworks flying towards them, and so he shoved Akane aside, yelling, "MOVE!" before shoving the explosive aside. Akane was safe, but Happy had shortened the fuse, meaning it barely got a meter away from Ranma before it detonated.

BOOM! "GAAHH!" Ranma screeched, flying backwards and over Akane, before crashing onto the ground.

"Ranma!" Akane screamed, before the man leaned back and jumped up, his clothes scorched.

Ranma glared at Happosai. "You're gonna' pay for that!" he shouted, running at him. Snapping his foot low at Happosai, the old man jumped in the air. Ranma responded with the Katchu Tenshin Amiguriken.

A flurry of fists filled the air, all from Ranma's right arm, using his left arm to keep his body blanched. Happosai, using the pipe as a springboard and a swing, sliding along and around each punch, while not by much, enough to avoid any hit. So Ranma decided it was time to do something new. Use both hands.

The flood of punches took the small space Happosai was dodging in by storm, smashing the man on a side swing, before overtaking him completely, knocking him around before he was pummeled away. With an awkward landing and a small flip, however, he was back on his feet.

"Is that all you have, Ranma?" he asked calmly.

"No, but it's all ya can handle, old freak." Ranma replied just as cold, except for the smile peeking out of the edges of his lips.

Akane watched carefully, having gone to her other children to get them out of the way. The battle could go in any direction, and her new first priority was to keep them safe. Second was taking Happosai down . . . permanently. But it wasn't her turn for it.

Happosai shook his head gently. "Ranma, I will not give up."

"Funny, because I won't either!"

A large, red glow appeared around the old man, more than a match for Ranma's, before his eyes slid shut. His hands slid backwards, the heels of his palms coming together. His fingers curled back, before the aura collected near his hands, and he shoved it away with a loud "HYAAAH!"

Ranma clenched his teeth, crossing his arms across his chest, taking the brunt of the aura blast onto him, sliding straight backwards.

Akane gasped, staring at her husband's back. "Ranma, you idiot! You could have dodged that!"

"I know!" Ranma screamed over his shoulder. "But could you three?!" he shouted, before muttering "Idiot." His arms dropped to his sides. "Not bad, Happy, but try this." His hands snapped together, before a ball of light glowed inside. "SHI SHI HODOKAN!"

Happosai blinked as a large burst of heavy Ki came barreling towards him. Hopping to his right, he let the blast slid past, before looking where he was landing. Ranma had run immediately after firing off the Ki shot, and was standing in position for another. "MOKO TAKABISHI!" he screamed, firing another bolt of Ki towards Happosai.

The old man was barely able to hit the ground before he jumped aside, trying to land in a new safe zone. He didn't.

"SHI SHI HODOKAN PERFECTED!"

WHOOSH! The large orb of Ki shot into the air, but not straight up. It was enough of an angle, though, to go over above Happosai, now floating in the air, before the weight dragged it, and the man, into the ground. When the globe of light burst and flashed away, the large crater in the ground empty except for the figure of a fighter, beaten into the ground.

Happosai leaned up, gasping for breath. Ranma didn't stop, however. Running, he leapt above the crater, staring down at his opponent. "ENDLESS MOKO TAKABISHI!"

Clasping his hands together, Ranma folded his palms out, letting the small sphere begin to glow. Focusing at the one point he wanted to destroy, he swung his hands, slowly, in front of him. His mind cleared, his aura died off, replaced with a vibrant blue field, like he normally had, when the sphere began to release. SHOOOM!

The blast, instead of being a sphere of Ki, was instead a stream of energy, driving straight into the ground, crushing Happosai underneath. The flow of energy tossed dust and dirt away, shredding the ground underneath. Seconds passed, the force tearing the ground apart, before it faded, and Ranma fell to the ground.

Landing on his legs, the man dropped to his knees. His body was completely still, his mind emptied from dropping all his emotions into his attacks. The entire world around him was blocked out. After a moment, his mind came back enough to realize he was tired, and he began to breathe heavily. Several seconds later, a voice came in.

"RANMA! DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME?!" Akane was screaming. "RUN!"

Ranma's head clicked back on, when he noticed a large bomb rolling gently up to his feet. His eyes widened, and he moved his arms to . . .

BOOM! "GAAAAAH!" Ranma screamed, hurled twenty meters away, crashing roughly into the ground, sliding along on his back. The dusk flowed in the air as the man rolled over a few more times, before flopping face down on the ground, moaning.

Happosai landed deftly nearby, staring down at Ranma. "Nice trick, Ranma, but not very effective. Firing the entire blast over several seconds may be painful, but there's no real power to it."

Ranma groaned, leaning up. "Shut it." His hands placed down along the ground, pushing his body up. "I'm not gonna' just give up."

Happosai sighed. "So, you won't lose?"

"Never." Ranma muttered back.

"Then, if I win, I get to train someone with all my techniques."

Ranma glared at him. "NEVER!" he shouted, running up and swinging. Happosai hopped back, before noticing Ranma's hands slap together. "SHI SHI HODOKAN!"

Happosai sighed, jumping aside. The blast whisked by, as the old man spun away in the air.

Ranma smiled.

"TENBA HIBASHIRA!"

Raising his hands into the air, his hands met together directly above his head. Ranma shifted the direction, racing them back to the ground. His hands interlocked fingers, clenching upon each other, his arms moving with all their speed towards the small patch of earth in front of him.

Happosai saw the movement, as he slowly began falling to the ground. He could feel the shift in battle aura and Ki in the world around him, sensing the changes at Ranma began to power up an attack. The movement of Ki told him it would be as soon as his hands hit the ground. And it was likely that the force behind it would be far more powerful than any attack before. He had to move.

But he was still falling to the ground. And so, he could **not** move.

Ranma kept swinging his hands down as fast as he could. He could see Happosai knew the end was coming, and he would try to avoid it as soon as he could. Time slowed **beyond **a crawl, each moment burned into his brain; the long, drawn-out wait simply growing longer with each second that passed.

Happosai could see Ranma's hands getting closer and closer to the ground. Each second, they slipped slightly lower. But so were his feet. And as soon as they hit the ground, he would be gone in a safe direction.

Akane could see the slight distance between Ranma's hands and the ground. Ten centimeters. Eight. Six. Four. Three . . . two . . . one . . .

BOOM! A geyser of yellow light sprayed out from the area just beyond Ranma's hands, flooding in front of the man with energy. Tearing grass from the ground and sending out a shock wind as the space was decimated with pure power, everyone of the Saotome family strained to see where Happosai was.

THUMP! The sound was that of Happosai hitting the ground. Fifteen meters to the side of the blast.

The old man rolled along, before righting himself, landing awkwardly on his feet. He escaped most of the blast, but the large tears and shreds on one side of his clothes showed that he had not evaded it all. And his sagging arms and slightly glazed eyes showed how little he had left inside him.

When the blaze subsided, Ranma immediately drew his hands back up, turning and facing Happosai. Akane, Sakura, and Sauske were trying desperately to see past Ranma's back. "That's enough, Happy. It's over!"

"It's not over until someone loses, Ranma." Happosai replied, staring him down.

"You can't win, Happy! There's no way I'll let ya!"

"You believe that, Ranma? I know all of the secrets of Anything-Goes fighting style."

Ranma scowled. "And so do I, freak! Your dirty tricks won't win you any more fights against me!"

"Dirty tricks?" The old man asked curiously. "What tricks would those be? I don't remember doing any such thing." His aura suddenly burst forth totally again. "But if you expect me to fight dirty, maybe I shouldn't disappoint you!"

Grabbing another fireworks from his arsenal, he swished the match along it, before hurling the explosive towards Ranma. It rolled and twirled in the air, going much higher than needed to reach Ranma. Happosai reeled a bit from the force of the throw, but watching it fly, it headed to its exact target.

Ranma watched it come towards him, before preparing himself to dodge it, when his mind changed it's opinion. "It's not goin' for me, it's headed for . . . oh no!"

Akane leaned back a little when she realized the bomb was heading for them. Her reaction was instantaneous and unquestioned by her body. Slipping in front of her family, she threw her arms wide to shield her children. "Get behind me!" she shouted, offering the destruction of her body to save theirs. The explosive drew nearer, before the fuse vanished inside. Then, the seams stretched, a bright fire expanding out.

BOOM! "REAAAAGHHH!" Ranma screamed, grabbing the bomb out of the air just before detonating, and dropping to the ground on it. It blew him high into the air, followed by gravity dragging him back down hard with a loud WHUMP!

"RANMA!" Akane screamed, rushing over and helping the man up. He slowly stirred, before leaning up, and then standing with his wife's help. Once he was up, though, he slid away to go back to a battered fighting stance.

His clothes were burned, his hair singed, his face bleeding in several places, his body tired, his muscles aching, his whole physical being begging his mind to let it fall and rest and heal. But Ranma stood firm.

"It's over, Ranma." Happosai said calmly, hoping to end the fight. "You are beaten."

Ranma snarled back. "Wrong, Happy. You **can't **win. No matter what happens, you will lose."

The old man replied to that by drawing another firebomb, at least four times bigger than the last one, and lighting the fuse. "We shall see!" He lit the fuse, and flung it at his opponent.

"I can't lose, Happy!" Ranma shouted. "The only way you can win is to beat me, and survive intact! If your body gets broken, training someone is impossible!"

Akane looked at him, worried where this was probably going, when Ranma began springing towards Happosai, the firebomb racing towards their position still.

"I can't lose! No matter what happens, I won't let you hurt my family!" Ranma shouted, jumping into the air, grabbing the bomb in its path, and steering his direction to land on Happosai. "I can't lose, because I'll give anythin' for them to make sure they're safe! IF I HAVE TO DIE TO SAVE THEM, **FINE**!"

"RANMA!" Akane screamed, as the man powered up another ki blast around the bomb.

"SAOTOME FIRE BURST!" Ranma screamed, firing the shot at Happosai.

BOOOOOOOOMMMMM! "rrrRREAAAAGGGGHHHHHH!" a voice, slowly coming into view over the explosion, screamed out. The flames from the explosion centered at the exact position between the two fighters, spreading almost as far as Akane. The voice was still screaming, before it flew beyond and behind Akane and the children, followed by another loud WHUMP!

Akane spun immediately, and there, buried in a crater, led before by a long trail of dirt ripped away by his slide along the ground, was her husband, shredded more than ever before. She turned back, and saw Happosai buried into the ground at a ridge on the other end of the field, in about the same condition.

She turned back to her husband, running as fast as she could go. Stopping at his body, she stared in horror for a split second, before dropping to his side. His shirt was shreds, deep gouges and cuts racing over his chest and arms, his face coated in soot and blood.

Slowly, painfully, his head turned, the eyes cracking open. "A . . . Akane?" Ranma was just able to speak out, his voice barely more than a whisper.

"Yes Ranma?!" Akane said urgently, leaning in to better hear him.

"D . . . did . . . I win?"

Akane paused, before she glanced back at where Happosai was. The old man had disappeared, replaced by deep drag marks in the dirt.

The woman turned back, though, with a smile on her face. "Yes, Ranma, you did. It's over."

"Good." Ranma replied, his eyes sliding closed. "I just feel . . . so tired . . . time for . . . sleeeeeeeeep." His last word dragged on, the mouth then stopping.

"No, Ranma, don't!" Akane shouted. He didn't react. "Ranma! Wake up!" Nothing. "RANMA!"

* * *

Akane flung herself up, tossing the bedcovers across the bed and over the edge, onto the floor. Her breath was a heavy pant, her lungs working overtime as if she couldn't breath. He face and body were drenched in sweat, making her thin clothes stick tighter to her skin than glue ever could make them. Her eyes glanced around, trying vainly to adjust to the light. Slowly, the world came into view.

She was in her room. The clock read "2:30 AM," quietly shining for her in the darkness. The bed, except for the covers being thrown away, was normal. The odds and ends hanging on the walls, or sitting on shelves, or taking up random amounts of space on the floor or anywhere else they were put, were all the same as they always were. Slowly, the woman took a deep breath.

"Just a dream." She muttered.

Something clicked in her head, though. Her back was cold. Very cold. The source of heat that kept it warm every night was missing. Turning her head, all that was there was an empty bed.

Her mouth slowly formed out the name "Ranma!" before she leaped out of bed. Grabbing a robe, she slid it over her shoulders as she raced out of the room.

"It was a dream! It was a dream! It was a dream!" she repeated over and over in her head. Ranma was alive. He had to be! She had lived for the last eight years with him! He was alive! Right? No, she couldn't think like that! It was a dream! A dream about an event that had happened a long time ago! No reason to question it.

So she ran faster.

Sliding the door to the dojo open, however, she was hit with a shock: Ranma wasn't there! "No!" she screamed in her head. "He always goes to train when he can't sleep! Where is he?!"

Suddenly, an inspiration hit her. "The kitchen!"

Turning on a dime, she bolted back out of the dojo, slamming the door behind herself, and raced down the hall, ignoring any reason to not wake anyone in the house up. She wanted Ranma, and would wake whomever it took to get him back!

Sliding into the living room, she found Ranma, sitting quietly at the table with a cup of tea.

He glanced up, and noticed her sudden arrival. "Akane? What are you doing up? And why are you running through the halls?" The woman stared at him for a moment, a look of pure shock on her face, before slowly walking up to him.

SLAP! Ranma's head rolled away under the force, before turning back. "What was that . . . huh?"

Akane had dropped down, clinging onto his shoulders with all her might. "Ranma! Don't ever leave me like that!" she shouted louder than she wanted to.

Ranma, slowly, placed her arms around her. "Akane? Is everything all right?"

"Promise me you won't fight alone!"

"What?"

"When you fight Happosai, promise me! Promise me you won't fight alone!"

Ranma was stunned for a moment, before clutching his wife tighter than ever. "I **swear **I won't go after him alone."

Next Chapter: Ucchan's has been the setting of much planning over the years, and it shall be again!

* * *

Well, there's chapter twenty-two. For those of you who can't speak Japanese, like me, "Tenba Hibashira" is the closest I could get to "Rising Horse Geyser." Literally, it translates to "Flying Horse Pillar of Fire". Anyway, it's time for reviews:

Shinjiku: Sweet! Two reviews! You didn't have to review the last chapter, but thank you for doing it anyway. And yes, as I have said before, Aki and Sauske **might** pair up.

What surprised me, though, is the fact that you didn't seem to notice that Sauske threw Aki **into a wall**. I'm not saying that's bad, but I was sure you, or someone else, would have at least mentioned that.

Oh well.

nonengel: Heh, just wait until you see Sauske's full power in action. Another thing is your use of Chi. So, if you go down, I have some definitions of the special powers of fighting defined, including Ki. They may not be the true definition, but they are my definitions, and those will be the ones I use in this story.

But something more important is in your review, although I'm glad you like the story so far too. It's just that I'm glad **somebody** can actually see Keira and Sauske together. I don't know why nobody else could, but hey, whatever.

Paige Crews: YAY! I'm so glad you like Aki, and Pai is another character I really tried to make different. She is a little bit of a Mousse copy, but she has some Genma in her, too, with the little signs. As for Sauske's power, it's coming soon. Promise.

Sleepingbear: Wow, nobody's said that about this story before. "It's creative and follows the original flavor of Ranma 1/2." I don't know if it's very much like Ranma 1/2, since it isn't always very funny, but I'm glad it's creative. Hopefully, this chapter is too.

* * *

Definitions:

**Aura**: A flow of energy off the body created by certain reactions in the cells. There are several types of auras, but the two most basic are bodily and battle auras. Bodily auras are formed naturally by the body, usually at all times, and formed by all people, but are also extremely faint. They can also be either emotionally based or physiologically based. They are also difficult to see, with only a few very gifted people able to see them all with just their eyes. Also, there is a type of crystal, mined in China, which can, when held up to the eye, allow a person to see all the auras of others without that special ability.

Battle auras only occur when the body is hyped up for a fight. It is not actually a natural phenomenon in anyone. In fact, even the red battle aura must be trained. Training for the battle auras, though, is actually training in any form of martial arts or fighting style which emphasizes, at least in some parts, emotional attachment to battle. The kind of emotion determines the color. Red battle auras come from emotions like hate, fear, and rage, while blue auras come from emotions like determination, willpower, and tenacity. The size, and sometimes the shape, of the aura can be controlled with strong focus. Also, the use of battle auras can increase the speed of exhaustion, and the larger the aura that the emotions create, the faster the fighter can become exhausted.

Auras can be used for attacks, but they are difficult to control, and are usually ineffective compared to most other forms of attacks. However, they have no harmful effects on the user beyond that of a normal battle aura.

Draining auras does not harm or exhaust the body directly, but instead drains away the fighter's emotional drive to fight. That causes feelings of weakness and failure, and, if drained enough, the body loses its will to the point that it can fall unconscious, and in **extreme **cases, die. But that is unbelievably rare.

**Ki**: Mental energy formed by conscious or instinctive thought. This means that every living creature that can think produces Ki. However, forming Ki into attacks can be extremely difficult without training because most people cannot understand how to channel Ki on their own to begin with. However, once it is learned, the ability becomes simple. Ki can be emotionally charged, using the same basic emotions like battle auras of hate, determination, and the like. It is also broadcast slightly, like an aura, but not to nearly the level of power that even the faintest of auras.

Ki does not drain away the strength of the body, since it is totally mental energy. However, Ki is not truly infinite. It only seems that way because there is no physical drain. However, using large amounts of Ki in one attack or several attacks rapidly can drain too much Ki for the mind to handle. That can cause the "emotionally hollow" effect that is central for the perfected Shi Shi Hodokan. The energy loss is so devastating, the mind simply shuts down to build its reserves up quicker. This can be dangerous in battle, but it is difficult to use enough Ki at once to cause a mental shutdown. But it is very possible.

Ki is also very difficult to sense, but some very powerful or sensitive people can notice changes in ambient Ki. But there is no object known that can see Ki flow though the body or in the air, and it tells very little information compared to auras. Draining Ki is almost totally useless, due to its high regeneration rate, but if enough is drained quickly, it can paralyze a person for several seconds.

**Chi**: Chi is the Chinese word for Ki. It is mental energy that can be used in attacks. While there may be slight differences, for simplicity's sake, the only major difference between Chi and Ki are the language it is from.

**Chakra**: Chakra is a mixture of bodily and mental energies to form a more powerful force. Since it uses energy directly from the body's cells, the use of chakra can cause severe exhaustion, depending on how much cellular energy is used.

What makes Chakra useful, however, is its extreme power. It can be from five to ten times more powerful than Ki, and is much easier to shape. Comparatively, Chakra is about as easy to shape as clay, compared to Ki being more like moistened sand. That means Chakra can actually be formed into very complex patterns with ease, and also into weapons and special techniques.

Another use of Chakra is elemental attacks. Being very easy to shape, it can actually be used in techniques that charge it with a certain element (Fire, Water, Earth, Lightening, Wind, or Metal). This is what has given it such a wide appeal with ninja, since it can be used in techniques to create explosions and elemental blasts, and through their vigorous training programs, their bodies are often far more than capable to deal with the exhaustion brought on by its use.

The biggest problem with Chakra, however, is it is very difficult to be **able** to use. Only one in twenty thousand people are able to use Chakra naturally, compared to ninety-nine out of one hundred well-experienced martial artists being able to form at least the basics of an aura. Chakra can be learned through ninjutsu training, which is far more zealous than even the most difficult Ki training, or through a special ritual mixing training, moxibustion, shiatsu, and meditation. Those who are naturally born with the ability to use Chakra cannot use Ki normally, but can if they shut down their Chakra using special shiatsu and moxibustion points. They can also later reactivate their ability.

Draining Chakra does cause severe exhaustion, just as in the use of the energy, and receiving Chakra from others can actually reverse the effects of fatigue. However, outside the body, Chakra is extremely explosive, and if interrupted in between bodies, it can detonate immediately. Also, since Chakra is so malleable, it can be held in place in the body, such as in the hand, without an active technique, to allow the preparation time for using it to be greatly reduced.


	23. Meal Planning

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma ½,_ nor claim to.

Chapter Twenty Three: Meal Planning:

"But if you only have love for your own race, Then you only leave space to discriminate. And to discriminate only generates hate. And when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah." Black Eyed Peas: _Where is the Love?_

Ukyo sighed. "Well, they'll be here soon, sugar."

"Yes." Konatsu replied, carrying a stack of dishes into the back room.

Ukyo glanced at him once, before sighing and turning back to her work. There was a slight sizzle as the next okonomiyaki was placed onto the griddle. Gathering the rest of the ingredients in a snap, the woman laid each one on in seconds, before adding a liberal spread of bright red sauce. And with that, she moved onto the previous ones, making sure everything cooked right. "Twenty years." She muttered to herself calmly. "Twenty years since we've seen each other."

DING-DA-DING! The bell above the door sounded. Her head snapped up in a second, as four familiar faces walked in, from youngest to oldest. Ukyo sighed a tiny bit, before perking right back up. "Hello, Naruto, Kite, Akari, Ryoga! How are y'all doing?!"

"Hello, Kuonji-san!" Kite replied first, smiling, and walking up to the counter. "I take it we're the first ones here again, right?"

"You all always did like to come early."

"Want us to get the tables set up?"

Ukyo nodded. "But make sure to get another four seats out. We got a whole new group coming tonight." She glanced over at the normal space they used. "You know what, don't make the big line table this time. Break it into a few groups or so."

Kite nodded, before grabbing his little brother with a "Come on, squirt!" and dragging him along to help move around a bunch of empty tables.

Ryoga and Akari slid up, taking a pair of stools at the counter right near the chef. "Hey, Ukyo." The man said with a smile. "How's everything?"

"Oh, you know, sugar, same as always. Good business, a pair of bickering ninja kids, and something always looming in the background." There was a slight sigh from her, before she suddenly perked up. "But, it's not important. We got plenty of food, so let me know when you want something."

She turned back to the okonomiyaki started a few minutes ago, checking them, before sliding them onto plates, and bringing it to the middle-aged couple along one of the walls.

At this point, Keira bounded down the stairs, smiling happily. "Need any help in the kitchen, Mom?"

Ukyo turned, spotted her, and nodded, walking back to the counter. "Slide off those other two okonomiyaki, hon." Keira did, and handed the plates to her mother, carrying them to the only other two customers. The first was for a boy, about eighteen, with light blond hair and tough green eyes, who merely nodded to Ukyo as she placed down the plate. The second was a girl, more along the lines of sixteen, with soft brown hair tied in a short ponytail and pleasant gold eyes. She seemed very familiar, but a large scratch along her face was totally unfamiliar. But there was someone who she reminded Ukyo of, someone like . . .

"Thank you." The girl said pleasantly, smiling up at the woman, before happily digging into her food. The words snapped the woman out of her trance, and she went back to work.

"All right, Keira, help out with the tables, okay?' The mother semi-commanded, and the girl, brushing some crumbs off her light blue T-shirt, nodded and slipped around to help Naruto and Kite.

At this point, Keira bounded down the stairs, smiling happily. "Hello, Naruto . . . eep!"

Keira looked up to see her exact double, wearing the same blue shirt and jeans she was wearing, in the same way, with the same white bow tied in the end of her hair. She was a perfect match, except for the fearful look of surprise on her face. The first Keira muttered, "Haku!" before the second dashed back up the stairs. The girl scowled, before clicking her hands together, concentrating, and then muttering quietly.

With a quiet POOF! a new doppleganger of Keira appeared, facing the same direction as the original. Without hesitating, the third girl raced up the stairs, disappearing.

Keira nodded as her duplicate chased down her brother, before turning back to the work. Kite and Naruto were staring at her for a moment, but slowly, they went back to work, shuffling the chairs around.

DING-DA-DING!

Ukyo glanced up to see the next group to arrive, but blinked in surprise. Not because she didn't recognize the person, but because he was alone. "Sauske? What are you doing here by yourself?"

The boy smiled. "Oh, everyone else will be here in a minute. I just got a bit ahead of them."

Keira smiled at him, before hiding a bit as she worked, a very faint blush in her cheeks. Which suddenly grew very bright when an arm reached around her shoulder.

"Hey, Keira, how are you?"

"H-hey, Sauske-kun!" the girl replied a bit too enthusiastically, smiling up at the boy. "I . . . I'm good."

The boy ignored the death glare he was getting from Naruto, as he leaned in closer to her. "That's good." He said in a soft voice. Naruto's glare grew worse.

Keira was bright red, smiling up at Sauske. "I'm in heaven, or I'm dreaming." She thought to herself. "But either is okay."

Suddenly, she heard a very faint snicker coming from behind her. The laughter was trying to be stifled, before being followed by a sudden CLOMP! The giggles continued unabated, before there was another loud CLOMP!

The girl straightened up, turning around and facing the stairs, where a stool could be seen climbing up one step at a time, a camera resting on top, hopping to get to the next one. A single word escaped her lips.

"Haku!"

That was followed by a bright red aura from Keira, the girl racing towards the stairs, the stool sprouting the head and legs of Haku before he began racing up as fast as possible, and both children disappeared in an instant.

Naruto ignored the scene for a moment, still focused solely on the boy, before Sauske burst into a puff of smoke and disappeared. Another doppleganger. He blinked, glanced around, before his brother dragged him back into their work.

Ukyo sighed, glanced at the door, and then followed her children upstairs slowly.

- - -

Fifteen minutes later, Keira, Haku, and Ukyo walked back down the stairs to see the Saotomes, the Reynolds, the Tofus, and the Amazons had already arrived. Ukyo sighed, as the two children went to sit in the table with the other children of their respective ages, before she walked behind the counter. Konatsu glanced up at her, smiling. "Anything wrong?"

Ukyo took a deep breath, calming her nerves, before smiling. "Nope. Everything's fine **now**."

"Hey, Ucchan!" Ranma said with a smile from the far end of the row of six, made up of Ryoga, Akari, Shampoo, Mousse, Akane and Ranma in that order.

Ukyo smiled. "Hello, Ranma, Akane, Mousse," the girl paused a second, before keeping that same honest smile when she said, "Shampoo."

The purple haired Amazon smiled back, replying with "Hello, Ukyo." And, somehow, that was that. The past was done with. Time does heal wounds, it seems.

- - -

Keira glared at her brother as she walked up to the table. "Okay, what do you all want?" She said, suddenly cheerful again, looking away from the thirteen-year-old sibling.

First was Auska. "Um . . . well, how about . . . everything?"

"You got it." She turned to the next person, before stopping. "Oh, hello, I don't know if we've met."

The young girl shook her head, the short black hair whipping around with it. Suddenly, she swung up her arms, holding a sign that read "I'm Pai!" Keira blinked, before the girl flipped the sign over. "I'm Aki, Chii, and Tenchuu's sister!"

Keira blinked again, before smiling and bowing a bit. "It's nice to meet you, Pai. I'm Kuonji Keira. What can I get for you?"

The girl drew down the sign, flipping a sheet of paper over, and scribbling with a big marker with a squeaky sound, before holding it back up. "Whatever Auska is having!"

Keira smiled, saying, "Okay, then. Joseph, what do you want?"

"Chicken and bok choy." The boy replied immediately.

"And Amy?"

"Same!"

"Okay." Keira turned on her angry stare as she turned to her brother. "And you want the usual, right?" Haku nodded. "Okay." And with that, Keira walked back to the counter to relay the orders to her mother, before walking to the middle table, occupied by only three.

"Hello." Keira said kindly to the boy she hadn't seen before. He wore thick glasses over his eyes, tied around the back of his head, a set of long white robes similar to Pai, with a long mane of black hair trailing down behind his shoulders. He had on a very calm, cold, stoic face, and his eyes mirrored that look. "My name's Kuonji Keira. What can I get for you?"

The boy thought for a moment, before replying "Haddock and cabbage." His tone was cold, but respectful.

Keira blinked at his stoic voice, odd to her even though it was fitting for his body language, before nodding. "Okay. And what about you, Sakura?"

The girl looked up at her, smiling. "Uh, I'll have the usual."

"Same here." Kite added.

Keira smiled, remembering what they always got, before rushing back to her mother to give out the next group of orders. Turning, she returned to the second to last table, with Naruto, Sauske, a new boy she had also not met from her class in high school, a space for herself, and, unfortunately, Aki.

Turning to the only person she didn't know, she smiled politely. "Hello, I'm Kuonji Keira. What can I get for you?"

The boy smiled immediately. "Hello, Keira. I'm Chii. And I'll have the okonomiyaki."

There was a short pause. "Okay." Keira replied. "And what do you want on it?"

"Oh, right. I'll have the sauce on it."

Another pause. "Um, they all come with sauce."

"Oh, yeah . . . I'll have the hamlem."

"What?"

The boy suddenly shook his head. "Sorry, I mean, the salmon."

Keira paused, before nodding, and continued taking orders. Except for Aki referring to her as "Fast-girl" again, they went much smoother than with Chii. After bringing the orders up to her mother, Keira went to the final table, occupied by Ono, Kasumi, Nabiki, and Brandon.

"Hello, what can I get for you all?"

- - -

After ordering, the four of them watched Keira bring the orders up, then her return to her seat next to Chii and Naruto, with Sauske facing Naruto and Aki sitting next to the Saotome, facing Keira. It seemed like a very uncomfortable seat for the Kuonji.

"So, that's Aki?" Nabiki said to herself, glancing over her shoulder at the table with the Chinese Amazon for a moment, before turning back to the other three.

"She's quiet beautiful." Kasumi noted. Keira, out of sight, sighed a bit at that moment.

Ono nodded. "She is." Keira sighed again. "But, anyway, how have you two been? I heard that you came back from another trip a few days ago, Nabiki."

Nabiki nodded. "Sure did."

"How was it?"

"Over and done with. Hopefully the last one for a few weeks. Otherwise, it wasn't anything worth talking about."

- - -

Squeaky-Squeaky! "You did that, Haku?!" Pai's sign read.

The boy nodded.

Squeaky-Squeaky! "Wasn't Keira upset?!"

The boy nodded again.

Squeaky-Squeaky! "That's so funny!"

"What was the look on her face like?" Joseph asked.

"Bright red, through and through. I'll show you the pictures tomorrow."

Amy gave a dour look to the boy. "Now now, Haku, that was slightly cruel to Keira." Her stoic face broke out smiling. "Hilarious, but cruel . . . but mostly hilarious."

- - -

"So, Tenchuu-san, what's it like out in China?" Sakura asked.

The boy thought back. "More rural, and more Chinese. But it not much different otherwise. Where we live now is like modern Amazon village." He paused. "And no Jusenkyo here."

There was another long pause. Kite sighed. "A man of few words. Tenchuu, I think you'll fight right in at this table." Sakura rolled her eyes. "And it's all her fault."

"My fault?!" Sakura replied angrily. "How is it my fault?"

"You always mess up the conversation by telling me I smell! You always do!"

"I haven't yet!"

Kite paused, before sneering. "But you're going to! I know it!"

"No I'm not!"

"I bet you are! Five minutes from now, you're going to tell me I smell!"

"I won't!" Sakura shot back.

"Or, you're going to bring up Jusenkyo!" Kite snapped. He downed the last contents of his glass, before reaching for the pitcher of water resting on the table.

Sakura's hand shot out, grabbing the handle. "Here, I'll get it for you Kite."

"No, I got it!"

"No, really!"

"Sakura!"

With a yank, the girl pulled the pitcher away, swinging it out to her side to avoid any sloshing water. "Want any, Tenchuu-san?"

The boy glanced at her, then the other boy, who was glaring angrily at Sakura. Then, he sighed.

- - -

"So, Chii, I take it you practice martial arts like Aki here does?" Keira asked, glancing towards the boy with silver hair.

He and Aki glanced at each other strangely for a moment, before the boy turned back to her, smiling. "Yes, I certainly do. But I'm not nearly as could as my sister." Everyone looked at him strangely, except for Aki. The boy suddenly realized his mistake. "Sorry, I mean, not as good as my sister." Everyone nodded, before the boy continued again. "Sorry, I haven't learned the vocabulary of this language very good yet."

"Aww, that's okay." Naruto replied. "No real problem, anyway."

Chii nodded at that, smiling at the boy, before Keira spoke up again. "So, what do you know?"

There was another strange glance between Chii and Aki again, but much shorter this time, before the boy turned to Keira. "Most of the basics, punches, kicks, throws, clocks . . . I mean, blocks, general things like that. I don't have as much talent as my sisters or brother. Bad muck, I suppose."

"Luck." Aki corrected.

"Right, luck." Chii repeated.

Keira studied the boy for a moment, before sighing to herself. "So, Aki is better than you?"

The Amazon girl turned to the ninja. "Why are you . . . so interested? . . . Are you thinking of . . . challenging Chii, Fast-girl?"

Keira turned to Aki with a cold look, glaring at the Amazon. "If you mean what I think that means to you, no, I don't. I'm just curious. And I think it's better to ask questions than to go around behind someone's back, Murderer."

Aki's face flushed red with fury. Keira always said that on purpose. She couldn't stand the Amazon constantly treating her like dirt, and the only way to make her react to anything she said was that murder bit. And she always got a reaction out of that. A **big** one. Maybe a bit too big, but when you have the choice between nothing and too much, too much usually wins.

"I was not trying . . . to kill him, Fast-girl . . . I was simply . . ." Aki was cut off by Keira.

"Oh, really? You weren't trying to kill him? Well, maybe chasing someone around a field with a big sword is a sign of affection in your country, but here it's a threat! A big one!"

The two young women glared at each other, both with tightly clenched fists and teeth. There was rage in both girls' eyes, and all the boys could almost see the crackles of lightning between their eyes. Sauske knew he had to do something. He found an idea in a split second. "Hey, Naruto!"

The blond boy looked up at him, confused. "What, Sauske?"

Sauske gave a smirk at the Hibiki, before taking again. "I bet I can beat you in . . . uh, rock paper scissors."

"WHAT?!" Naruto shouted suddenly. "Oh, you just think you're so awesome, don't you Sauske?! You're ON!"

"On three." Sauske replied, as both "combatants" clenched one fist, holding it in the palm of the other, clicking their hands with each count. "One . . . two . . . three!"

Naruto slammed his hand down, showing scissors, a big, confident grin on his face.

Sauske had rock.

"How do you do that?!" Naruto asked to nobody in particular.

"Too bad, Naruto," Sauske began, noticing that Keira and Aki were no longer looking at each other, instead focused on them, and seemed a bit quieter than before. "Rock beats scissors. I win."

"EERGH! Sauske!" Naruto shouted. "One day, I'm going to beat you at this!"

"Really?" Sauske began, smirking more. "So, you're giving up on beating me in a fight?"

"WHATEVER IT TAKES!" Naruto shouted, before realizing what he had said. "I mean, no! or . . . YES! NO! WAIT! AAARGH!"

Sauske simply smiled a little more, as Naruto began shaking his fist at the Saotome.

- - -

Ranma sighed as he turned back to the group. Ukyo looked up. "Haku, okonomiyaki are done."

The boy bounded over, grabbing several plates, and began delivering them to the rest of the four families seated around the restaurant. Ukyo began pulling other meals off, handing them to the adults seated at the counter. It was time for the one thing nobody wanted to get into. But you can't escape the thing that brings you together.

"Okay, here's the plan." Ranma began suddenly. The group turned to Ranma with a somber look. "We've gottah find Happy **and** keep him from goin' after anyone else."

"You mean, like what happened to Auska?" Ryoga asked.

Ranma nodded. "Exactly. I don't know what the old freak is plannin', but he's been striking all over the city, usually far off from us. If everybody goes after him, someone's gonna' get left behind. We can't let him get us in the back.

"So, we split into two groups: one looks for Happy, one watches over everybody else." Ranma continued. "We switch off who goes searchin' and who stays behind, but we have to find him before he finds us. You know, make him fight us on our terms."

The "conversation" wasn't much beyond a one-person explanation, but nobody wanted to stand in Ranma's way. After Auska had nearly been taken from him, he always seemed to get unusually cold whenever the man's name came up. Same with Akane, but she normally left the planning for this particular maniac up to her husband.

It was almost an obsession for him whenever there was a sighting, which **was **rare. But he held his control, and there was no way they would stand a chance without him. Happosai was powerful, even next to Ranma. And after he had gained some control over his impulsive nature . . . the strengths of that man had become more profound with fewer weaknesses to exploit.

"So, what about them?" Konatsu asked, signaling to the group of children continuing to eat.

Ranma sighed. "I think we could use their help. I know Sakura's ready to be part of it."

Akane glanced at him. "She is?"

Ranma nodded. "Yep. But I don't want them to do any more than we do."

"You sure you want to bring them into this?" Mousse asked.

"Absolutely." Ranma replied. "I know it ain't gonna' be easy, so we gottah' make sure we have everybody help us win. Besides, Tokyo's no little village. The more people we got looking, the faster we find him."

"And if they get hurt . . ." Ukyo began.

"They won't." Ranma replied immediately. "I swear it."

- - -

Keira gathered the last of the plates from the youngest kids' table, bringing them up to the counter, and passing them off to her parents as they continued their discussions on Happosai. Ukyo asked her to check on the other customers, and so off the girl went. It would be good to get a break from Aki.

"Is there anything else I can get for you two?' the teenage girl asked as she stepped up to the middle aged couple.

The man and woman glanced at each other, before both turned back to her, smiling. "No, we're all set. Thank you for the delicious meal."

"Oh, You're welcome." Keira replied, gathering their dishes up, and bringing them to the counter again.

Their conversation brought her back to Happosai. She had **met** him, once, staying a good meter and a half away at all times, and had seen him many times. The only thing she liked about him was that she had never been forced to face off against the pervert. She had heard almost all the stories, and the guy was pretty crazy to her. How could anyone want to train under him?

"Would you like anything else?" the girl asked, the eighteen-year-old boy glancing up at her.

"Yeah, two more of these." He said gruffly, before turning back to the last remnants of his food, ignoring the girl beyond that.

Keira nodded, walking back up to her mother to give out the two extra orders. What could be so great about this Happosai anyway? He had lost to Saotome-san, so he couldn't be that great. **He** was the really great martial artist. Happosai was just a pervert who stole girls' underwear, groped them, and then tried to abduct Auska to teach her everything he knew. Like that would be a good way to fight.

Anyone who trained under him would probably be an idiot or something after a while.

"Would you like anything else?" Keira asked the girl sitting in the booth alone.

She shook her head. "No, I am all set. I don't think there's any reason for me to hang around longer, taking up space for you customers."

"No, it's all right if you want more. We have plenty of space." Keira replied.

The girl with gold eyes wouldn't hear of it. "No, I'm finished here." She reached down, grabbing her bag, and flinging it over her shoulder.

"Well, thank you for coming to Ucchan's." Keira replied, stepping out of the girl's way to let her walk out the door. The girl paused at the door, smiling, bowing a little, before disappearing out into the night calmly.

- - -

Ukyo sighed again, as the whole group began to leave. "Well, Konatsu, looks like we've got dishes galore for a while." She muttered quietly, boxing up the second okonomiyaki that boy had ordered. The guy was a bit of a jerk, but not every customer can be perfect. She passed the box off to him, he took it without thanks, and walked out the door.

"Well, Ukyo, thanks for givin' us a place to meet. Sorry it couldn't be about somethin' good." Ranma said tentatively, scratching his head.

The woman smiled. "It's no trouble, sugar. Besides, it's better we get the problems fixed before we start celebrating, right, hon'?"

"Yeah, you're right." Ranma replied. "So, it's good we can fix this soon."

Next Chapter: Two weeks without finding the old man, as Happosai inches closer and closer to home; once again, though, even after two weeks, the crew sets up for another night of searching.

* * *

And that's the end of chapter twenty-three. I just have a warning out there for all you readers. While I don't think it'll be a problem, I do have college applications coming up, so I might not be putting up anymore _Ranma ½: The Fanfiction_ chapters, for those few of you who read that, and I might miss a couple weeks of _Youth of the Nation_. I am going to do my best to keep that from happening, but just as a heads up, don't be surprised if I miss a week or two.

Anyway, on with the reviews;

Shinjiku: Okay, you're right, Ranma and Akane fought a lot, and ended up together anyway. Maybe that will happen with Sauske and Aki. But there's more to it than simply being able to be together despite bickering. After all, Sauske and Naruto are sort of friends most of the time, and they fight all the time. (And before anyone asks, no, they aren't getting together) It is going to take more than simply getting through fights for anyone to end up together. So, you'll have to wait a while until you find out more. Sorry.

The Liz: Happosai and The Joker? Hmm, sounds interesting; I think I get what you mean. And yes, Kuno Tabakatsu does have a little more sense than his father. As for whether or not Kuno knows that the female Ranma is the male Ranma too, . . . well, you'll just have to wait some more. (Again)

Paige Crews: Yeah, it was a dream. As for Happosai teaching Auska the Good Child Exercise technique to drain battle auras . . . well, it's possible. But that wasn't one of his best techniques, since he never really used it too much. Also, if you look at the beginning, when Hinako uses it as a child, it does nothing to her to increase her size. It's only when she's an adult that it turns her into the adult Hinako. I don't think it's as effective as some other techniques he knows, but it is possible that he would have taught it to her.


	24. Approaching Critical

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma ½_, nor claim to.

Chapter Twenty Four: Approaching Critical:

"Hold on to me, love; you know I can't stay long. All I wanted to say was I love you and I'm not afraid. Can you hear me? Can you feel me in your arms?" Evanescence: _My Last Breath_

"So, you're all going out again tonight?" Akane asked quietly, sitting quietly on the bed.

"Sure are, Akchan." Ranma replied while pulling on a clean undershirt over his arms, before pausing to get his head through the hole. "He's been getting closer, so we're goin' to try to get him tonight."

"Everyone's coming here this time, aren't they?"

"Yep . . . 'cept for Kasumi and Tofu. They're stayin' right where they are, just in case. But everyone else is gonna' be here."

Akane slowly stood up, walking over to her husband as he pulled on his red shirt, gently straightening it, before starting to button it up. She let her hands trail around his sides, gently griping her hands into the chest, leaning onto him to whisper into his ear. "Just don't forget what you promised us."

Ranma nodded solemnly. "Yeah, I know. Don't fight alone, and keep an eye on the kids. I won't forget."

"One more thing." Ranma glanced up. "Since you're probably going to find him tonight, I want you to do something for the rest of us."

"What is it?"

"Kick his ass for that year and a half."

Ranma smirked a bit, before gently kissing her on the lips, and smiling. "You don't have to ask me twice."

- - -

Sauske rubbed his forehead as he slowly stepped out of the bath. The time was getting closer. This would be his fifth trip on the search party, out of the soon to be fourteen trips over the last two weeks. It had been a long, and altogether depressing, two-week search so far. With December already begun, the mood was still quite low. They had barely caught more than glimpses of Happosai, and few were definite beyond a reasonable doubt. His father had said he almost caught up to him, but "the old freak ran off before I could catch him."

Other than that, though, the last two weeks had been a blur, shredding what little nerves he had when they began. Hearing that Happosai was back was bad news enough, but not knowing when and where the fight would be meant constant, never ending suspense if he'll attack, or they'll attack first. School didn't help at all, especially after he was spotted there during the day, before bolting off. He wasn't stealing nearly as much as he had long ago, just enough to get attention, then disappear. He was drawing them out, taunting and tantalizing them. And even Sauske knew that was his plan.

But they had no choice **but** to follow, even if everyone knew the reasons were pre-planned by Happosai. Stepping out of the bath and into the changing area, Sauske began to towel down, trying to dry his body as best he could with so much on his mind. Since it wasn't just Happosai eating away his sanity right now, but Aki too.

To be totally honest, she hadn't done anything to try to force out his aura again yet. The incident of him throwing her into the wall spooked her pretty bad, so she seemed reluctant to try to pull it out again. But that didn't stop her from watching him, constantly. He could feel her intense glare on his back every day of class, and most times at lunch. That was far worse than what she had done before. If it were just those isolated incidents, the stress would build up quickly, but then would lessen after time.

Now, the stress never healed. It just kept building and building. He had to be careful.

Slowly, he stood back up, pulling a pair of boxers on, before glancing over at the mirror on the wall. It showed his body from just below his waist to above the top of his head from where he stood. He could see the toned muscles from the nearly constant training since birth. There were those scars that everyone eventually picked up in this sport, but nothing compared to what some people he had seen had, especially his father and Hibiki-san. There was his damp, messy mop of black hair, dangling down over his forehead.

But none of that registered. His eyes focused on his chest, base of the rib cage, where the bones all met and ended, that small little indent that existed where the stomach began and the chest ended. Set in the center of the body, center of the torso, center of him, there was a single mark, seemingly insignificant, set slightly to the right of dead center of that little indent on his body. It was a small, black kanji, tattooed, or burned, if you prefer, there from long ago.

"Akuma."

As soon as the word registered in his brain, Sauske turned away, shaking his head out, and dressing as fast as he could. He never again looked to the mirror until he was dressed, and the mark was hidden. And once he was, he walked out the door and away from that memory as fast as he could, trying to meditate on the fly.

- - -

Ranma slid the door open. "Hey, you guys!" he said cheerfully. The group relied with a chorus of "Hello!" before the four, Keira, Haku, Ukyo, and Konatsu, entered the house. The two siblings seemed as distant as the usual younger-brother older-sister situation worked, each carrying their own bag of things as they entered. There was something different about Keira's appearance, but Ranma ignored it.

Ranma let the children pass, before catching Ukyo by the shoulder, reaching his arm out in front of Konatsu. "You two sure this is okay? I mean, this is the fourth time you closed the restaurant. If you need to stay open, we don't mind . . ."

Ukyo smiled, before sliding his hand off. "Ranma, it's fine, okay? We know what we're doing, hon'." And with that, she followed her children into the living room, passing Keira, who went back towards the dojo, having heard that was where Sauske had gone. She gave another quick hello to Ranma, which he returned, before the two parted, Keira down one hall, Ranma the other, towards the kitchen.

The girl sighed to herself, pausing at the door. She was still worried about all this. Happosai was really here. Was she ready for this? Could she really take care of herself if something went wrong? Yes, she was an accomplished fighter, and she could take care of herself, but . . .

Suddenly, Keira shook out her head quickly. "I can't think like that." She muttered in her thoughts, before taking a deep breath, and swinging open the door.

She was immediately met by a flurry of calm chatter from the room. She glumly walked in, realizing she was the last one here. Naruto, Kite, Aki, Chii, Tenchuu, Sakura, and Sauske-kun were already here. Slowly she closed the door behind herself, before taking a few steps into the room, and dropping the bag onto the floor.

She adjusted the upper half of the dark blue body suit she always wore when she was prepared. The biggest area of focus for tiny adjustments was the edge along her left arm, which she had cut away to keep it from interfering with her tekko (forearm guard). ­­But it wasn't cut as cleanly as she wanted, and she had never gotten the time to fix it, so the little edge kept bothering her. After a minute of fiddling with it, she was satisfied, and slid down to her knees, opening up her bag.

Naruto, noticing the girl had entered, slowly walked across the room and up to the girl. "Keira!" he said cheerfully. "How are you?"

The girl didn't look up as she slid the cloth over her left forearm, before locking the tekko over it. "I'm all right, so far . . . except for maybe the fact that there's a crazed pervert out on the streets and my chest is too tight so I can keep him away." She pulled out a small cloth roll, before laying it on the floor and opening it, revealing the seven sharpened kunai, which she then began inserting, one by one, into the tekko.

Naruto smiled. "Don't worry, Keira! I'll protect you!"

Keira, holding the last kunai in her hand, glanced up at the boy, back at the knife, up at Naruto again, then back down towards the shuriken. "Riiiight." She murmured, locking the last knife into place. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a sword and the shuriken pouch for the throwing stars. Attaching the pouch to her belt, she removed the wire from the scabbard, which had locked it into place, before sliding it into her belt. "I'm sure you will, Naruto." She replied sarcastically.

Naruto looked down at her as she drew more equipment from her bag. "How much stuff do you have?"

"Not enough, probably." Keira replied, sliding the second pouch, holding a collapsible grappling hook and a ten-meter length of climbing wire, thinner than most fishing line and almost as strong as eighth-inch steel cable.

"Don't you think that if you start taking any more," Naruto began, "that you're just going to get weighed down?"

Keira looked up as she tied on the tiny bag holding the few smoke grenades she had. "No."

- - -

"Haku!" Auska said cheerily as she carried in one of the plates of cookies being churned out by the cooking team in the kitchen, made up of Amy, Nabiki, and Brandon. Akane had offered to help, but was quickly denied the right to do so. "Want a cookie?!"

The boy smiled, nodding. "Sure." Taking one off, he smiled more after taking the first bite. "This is great!"

"Well, thank you." Nabiki replied, as she carried in the other tray, before returning to the kitchen with a smile.

"What's in the bag?" Auska asked, placing her tray down on the table and glancing at the large bag hanging limply from one shoulder.

"AV equipment. Mom and Dad asked me to set up some here just in case he tried to sneak in." Haku said with a calm voice, before looking over at Auska, who seemed quite interested. "Want to help?"

"Sure!"

- - -

Chii leaned gently against the wall, his hands pressed between the building and the back of his head, his elbows pointing up in a pair of triangles, and his silver hair draping down between his fingers. His eyes gazed up at the ceiling, letting the time pass by as if nothing was going on. "You seem pretty relaxed." A girl's voice observed.

Chii glanced down to see Saotome Sakura leaning against the wall next to him, staring at him through the corner of one eye. He smiled, before leaning back with a calming sigh. "Nothing to get worked up about."

"So, you're not worried at all?"

"Not feel-ly."

"Huh?"

"Sorry . . . I mean, not really." Chii replied, correcting himself.

Sakura took a good look at the boy. Except for his long silver hair, the clothes he was wearing, and a slightly different face, his body reminded him of Sauske. He wasn't too built up, in fact looked even less than her brother did. He was also a little shorter, but not enough to really notice.

The only feature that stood out were his arms. Since he wore a pair of black pants and a plain, loose white shirt with the sleeves cut at the elbow, he looked perfectly normal except for his arms. They were covered by a large wrapped bandage. It wasn't a hand wrap, since it stopped right at his wrist, where it was button and weighted.

"Did you hurt your arms or something?" Sakura inquired.

"What do you clean?" Chii responded with a straight face.

"Huh?"

"Sorry . . . **mean**?"

"Your arms." Sakura replied, pointing to the bandages. "Why do you wear so many bandages over them? Did you hurt yourself or something?"

Chii glanced down, before turning back to her with a smile. "Nah. I just use them to keep warm."

"If you're cold, why not wear a long sleeved shirt?"

"Isn't that what this is?"

Sakura sniffed the air a few times, peering cautiously at him, before sighing. "Whatever."

- - -

Akane laid the ladder against the wall calmly, letting the top clang against the edge of the roof. Shaking it a bit to make sure it was stable, she began to climb up to the roof three rungs at a time. After a moment, she reached the top, and so the woman pulled herself up the last two rungs, and stepped easily onto the roof. She was close enough in skill to make it up in a single leap, but it was always good to have a ladder set up anyway.

THUNK! Akane spun back to see a pair of fingers gripping into the edge of the roof, a small piece of metal just barely visible over the edge. The woman sighed, before walking to the edge and sticking out her hand. "Why do you think I put the ladder out?"

One of the hands slipped off, grabbing the woman's hand, before gripping tightly. Akane pulled up, lifting the chef onto the roof. Ukyo slid onto the edge, before shaking her head. "I thought I could make it."

"Well, maybe if you kept up the training you had been doing before, you might be able to." Akane said with a friendly smile. Ukyo glared at her for a moment, before the two shared a small chuckle.

Slowly, the chef stood, and the two walked to the top of the roof. The stars above them were in the hundreds, all twinkling down on the suburb. Nothing compared to the wilderness, but it was still pretty and serene. The two stood on the arc, looking out at the city around them.

Ukyo was first to break the silence. "Do you think he'll come here?"

Akane shook her head. "No, it's too risky to do that. He doesn't know who's going to stay and who's going to go. Besides, he's making it obvious that each night his raids get closer and closer. He wants us to come after him. He's just getting closer so that we're sure to hear about it."

"Are you worried? I mean, . . . about what's going to happen tonight?"

Akane glanced over at her friend, who had her eyes firmly set on the city in front of her. "Yeah, I am. More worried than ever." She turned back out to look at the city.

"Worried about what?"

"Everything. I . . . I don't know. All I know is **something** is going to happen tonight. I don't know what, but something coming." There was a small pause. "What about you?"

"I don't know what to worry about." Ukyo replied almost immediately, as if she had spent the last five minutes trying to pin down her worries. "I can't say what worries me most: Happosai hurting someone out there, or coming here and attacking. They're both bad, especially with half my family at both."

Akane paused. "Let's hope neither."

All Ukyo could do was nod.

- - -

Joseph smiled as he carried down the game. This would be great to get everyone's mind of Happosai. Plus, it would keep them going for the long, dark hours of the December night. Or, at least those people not going out tonight. But it would be bad to distract them anyway.

Pai and Amy were sitting at the table, talking . . . er, having a conversation. There were several balled up pieces of paper lying around Pai; probably meant they'd been talking for a few minutes. Suddenly, Brandon's voice came out from the kitchen. "Amy, sweety, do you still want to help cook?"

Amy suddenly looked up, turning to the kitchen, saying, "Be right there!" before turning and excusing herself from Pai. Joseph smiled, before walking to the table. "Hello, Pai!" he said cheerfully.

The girl looked up, smiling back. Squeaky-Squeaky! "Hello, Joseph!" He placed the box down at the table, which Pai immediately glanced down at. Squeaky-Squeaky! "What is 'Monopoly: Tokyo Edition'?"

"Monopoly? Oh, it's a great game. You try to win a lot of money by owning all the squares on the board. A little hard to start, but it can be fun after a little while."

Squeaky-Squeaky! "Will you teach me how to play?"

"Of course!" the boy replied back, smiling.

Pai smiled as well, before glancing back into the kitchen. Suddenly, her cheerfulness died. Squeaky-Squeaky! "Joseph, can I ask you something?"

The boy blinked, sitting down at the table. The change in the girl's face told him it was serious, but he wasn't sure what. "Yes, of course. What's on your mind?"

Squeaky-Squeaky! "Why is everyone so worried about one man?"

Joseph blinked. "What do you mean?"

Squeaky-Squeaky! "Everyone here is worried about something. Even you." Squeaky-Squeaky! "You were smiling, but very worried when you came in the room." Squeaky-Squeaky! "Auska is the only one I have seen not worried."

"What do you mean? You can see people are worried?" Joseph asked incredulously.

Pai paused, before nodding. Squeaky-Squeaky! "I have a special ability to see auras. I was born with it." Squeaky-Squeaky! "That's why I cannot talk. It took my ability to speak so I can see every aura." Squeaky-Squeaky!

Joseph cut her off before holding up the next sign. "What? It took your ability to speak?!"

Pai nodded again, before flipping the page. Squeaky-Squeaky! "Everyone in my family is gifted with seeing auras. Most Amazons are." Squeaky-Squeaky! "But I was born with these silver eyes, and I can see more than battle auras. I can see every aura a person creates." Pai flipped back to what she had written before. "That includes the golden aura. It shows the biggest feeling someone has."

Joseph blinked. "That's . . . incredible."

Pai nodded, smiling a bit. Squeaky-Squeaky! "It's very useful."

Joseph nodded. "I'm sure. You could learn a lot with something like that."

There was a pause in the conversation. Pai flipped back to a previous message. "Why is everyone so worried about one man?"

Joseph paused, thinking about how to reply. "Well, about eight years ago, he tried to take Auska from here on a training mission. Without asking anyone. My uncle Ranma got in a big fight with him, and almost died at the end of it. We thought Happosai had disappeared for good, but after two years, my aunt Akane saw him for a full minute. Since then, everyone knows he's alive, and it was just waiting for him to come back."

Squeaky-Squeaky! "How did he get Auska to go along with him?"

"Because . . . she trusted him. It wouldn't surprise me if she still does. She's always been a bit naïve about some things. And besides, she'd gotten used to being around him."

Squeak! "?"

Joseph sighed. "Well, for about a year, maybe year and a half or so, before the big fight, Ranma had been letting Happosai stay here. He had disappeared for a few years, and came back pretty much all alone. My uncle said he could stay, if he started to work to make himself better. And he did, for a while.

"Eventually, though, he started talking, I've heard, about finding a new heir to train. He had already taught my grandfather and my uncle's father, and he wanted one more person to train to pass down all of his best skills. My uncle and aunt refused immediately, and after a while, he gave up on asking them. And after finding out neither Sauske nor Sakura would train under him, he asked Auska, supposedly, and she agreed.

"Unfortunately, he didn't tell her that it would be several years of training before she could come home. Fortunately, Aunt Akane and Uncle Ranma found out a few minutes after they left, found him, and rescued Auska." Joseph sighed. "We never talk about it anymore anyway, so Auska never really knew what was going on. Wouldn't surprise me if she still didn't."

Pai was watching him carefully, taking in his gold aura, tracing the emotions as his story went along. Nothing that seemed deceptive, and very genuine fear and sadness accompanying his changes in expression. No reason to suspect him. Squeaky-Squeaky! "Well, we will not let it happen again."

Joseph paused, reading the sign, before looking up at the girl with a smile. "Yeah, we won't."

- - -

Auska grabbed the small bundle of cable Haku had asked for. "This one?"

The boy glanced over, before nodding. "Yeah, hand that here." He said, leaning down and reaching out with one hand while placing the screwdriver down onto the floor with the other. He grabbed a small amount of the putty he was using to hold the lines up along the edge of the ceiling. Standing up on the stool he was on, he began to lock the wire up on the ceiling.

"Why do you use that stuff anyway?" Auska asked, looking at the small pile of blue putty laying on the floor.

"What, that?" Haku pointed out, before noticing Auska nod in reply. "It's easier than staples, and it doesn't damage the walls. I don't think anyone's going to want me to have cameras set up in their house after we find Happosai . . . Well, maybe your aunt."

"Who?" Auska asked inquisitively.

Haku smiled as he cut away the end with a small pocketknife. "Nabiki-san. I heard she took pictures of everyone when she was younger."

Auska blinked, before realizing what he meant. She glanced away a bit, sliding her foot on the floor. "Oh, yeah, she did. But, well, not anymore."

Haku smiled, watching the ends of the wire carefully as he stripped the small plastic casing surrounding the copper. "Yeah, I thought so. But, it's nice to know someone else has done this before."

"What's that?"

"Spying."

"Do you really spy on other people?" Auska asked, turning back up to him. "Keira-san said you had, but nobody ever told me for certain, Haku."

"Sure do." He replied calmly, before clenching the knife in his teeth for a minute as he separated out the wires a bit more. Once that was done, he took the blade back out of his mouth, and continued talking. "If you need me to find out something, like get pictures of Sauske's girlfriend, just let me know, Auska. I'll even do it for free for you."

"You mean, people pay you to find out things? Like in the movies?!"

Haku paused, before turning to the girl below him, chuckling. "Nah, not yet. But anyone who wants me to find something, I always tell them they're going to have to pay me for it. So, nobody's really asked me to find anything out yet . . . Maybe someday, though."

Auska paused, watching the boy work, and thinking over what he had said. She opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Haku. "Auska, can you hand me that screwdriver again?"

Auska bent down, pulling it up off the floor, before handing it up to the boy. "Here you go."

"Thanks." The boy replied immediately, before fiddling with the back of the camera. "Okay, can you hand me my pad?"

Auska leaned down again, pulling the Palm Pilot up and handing it to him, taking back the screwdriver. The boy replied with another "Thanks," before pulling a wire up and connecting the small computer with the camera. Glancing at the screen, he adjusted it until the view covered as much of the hallway as possible. After several minutes of fiddling, he unplugged it, smiling to himself, before hopping down. "There we go, all set." He turned to Auska, smiling. "Your house is now un-burglarable."

The girl smiled back, and the two began gathering up all the stuff Haku had carried up here. "Uh, Haku?" Auska began, which caused the boy to look up at her. They paused for a moment, staring at each other. "Thanks for doing so much for me."

The boy smiled widely, a twinge of red in his cheeks. "What are friends for?"

- - -

Ranma slid the door open, walking in with Ryoga, having found the man lost in the Reynolds side of the house. Shutting the door behind himself, he walked further in, before stopping. "All right, everybody! Listen up!" he shouted, quickly gathering all the attention. "Everybody already knows what we're doing, right? We don't have to go through it again?"

There was a group nod.

"Well then, yesterday, Happosai was raiding just on the edge of the Nerima district. He's been getting' closer every time, and this time, he's in our turf. We're not gonna' lose him tonight, okay?"

Another group nod, accentuated by a few grunts of affirmation.

Ranma nodded back. "All right. Then, here's the plan. We're splitting into two man teams again, so listen up. Mousse, you're with me." The Amazon male nodded solemnly from across the room.

Ranma turned to face the Hibiki standing behind him. "Ryoga, you're with Konatsu." He turned around to face the ninja. "Try not to lose him, okay?" Both nodded solemnly.

"Chii, you're with your brother, Tenchuu."

"Sakura, you and Sauske are staying together."

"Aki, with Kite."

"Naruto, you're with Keira." There was a sigh of pain from the girl, but nothing else beyond that.

The man started walking to the far end. "Remember, we need to find Happosai. Then, tail him until the rest of us get there. Do not attack without me, Mousse, Ryoga, or Konatsu with ya. Defend yourself if ya need to, but don't go pickin' a fight with him. He's much stronger than he looks, and we're not going to get in trouble for makin' a mistake before the battle starts."

Everyone nodded again as Ranma opened the dojo doors. "Well, then, if everybody knows what's goin' on, then tell me: is everybody ready?"

There was another nod, this time with some shouts of "Yeah!" mixed in.

Ranma smiled. "Then, let's go!" he shouted, before the whole crowd ran out, and spread along the street, running in all different directions. The plan was set, and now, all they needed to do was find Happosai.

Next Chapter: Finding Happosai is the easy part; getting everyone through the fight safely is something entirely different, as many soon learn.

And, there you go; chapter twenty-four. Sorry if it wasn't as good as some other chapters and that I missed putting it up last week. But, I had to get in some important facts before the upcoming story, and the next few chapters are going to have a lot of action. I hope this chapter wasn't too disappointing.

Anyway, on with the reviews:

Shinjiku: Thanks for reviewing, and again, I'm sorry this is a week late.

Fan: YAY! A new reviewer who likes my story!

Paige Crews: Okay, on the argument between Aki and Keira last chapter,I can definitely see what you're saying. Keira is a pretty big jerk then, but there's some reasoning to why she is:

1. Aki only ever refers to her as "Fast-girl". Definitely not a flattering name.

2. Calling Aki a "murderer", or something similar, is the **only** thing Keira has found that she can say to get Aki riled up.

3. Keira has to accept being second best to the Amazon since she can't challenge the girl to a fight. Sauske already told her she can't, and if Keira does challenge her, she'll either lose, or get the Kiss of Death.

4. Keira is, as she said several chapters before, extremely jealous of Aki. The Amazon is better looking than Keira, already a friend of Sauske, and can get away with a lot with the boy. As of now, Keira's known him for her whole life, and Aki has only known him for about a month. And even as Aki attacks and/or plots against Sauske, he constantly forgives her without any hesitation. And then there was that time the two of them talking on the roof still in her mind.

5. Having grown up with Sauske, she knows more about him, a whole lot more, than Aki does. She knows almost everything about him, and she can't stand the way the Amazon has been treating him, at least from her point of view.

While I personally can't agree with Keira knowingly calling Aki a murderer, I can understand where she's coming from. After all, it's disrespect for disrespect.

As for the two people from the restaurant becoming important characters soon, all I can say is they might be, so don't forget them. But you'll need to wait to see who is and who isn't. I will say some characters who've only appeared slightly will be important.


	25. Lighting the Match for

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma ½_, nor claim to.

Chapter Twenty Five: Lighting the Match for . . .

"Plug them in and turn them on, process the data, make yourself the bomb. What is your target, what is your reason? Do you have emotions, is your heart freezin'?" Papa Roach: _Dead Cell_

"See anything yet?" Sauske asked calmly as he jumped back down from the fence, running alongside his sister.

She glanced down another street, but upon seeing nothing there, shook her head slowly. "Nope, haven't seen him yet." She paused, glancing over at the boy. "You?"

"Nothing." Sauske replied with a sigh. Sakura nodded. "Maybe we need to get closer to the edge of the district?"

"Makes sense." Sakura replied quietly, continuing to run, her kendo sword at her hip, ready for anything. She muttered something under her breath, which her brother couldn't quite make out.

The boy turned to look at her, when he noticed the faint glow. Red. He cold see it glowing in the small space in her ear, and between the back of her ear and her head. A red aura had formed. Sauske changed his mind about asking her.

She was angry; Sakura had to be in order to force out a red aura. His sister needed to be much angrier than he did in order to create one; then again, it was easier for her to show red than for him to form blue. But that was the nature of the red aura. Quick to anger, slow to forgive, people would always say about each other.

But when the time came, they would both kill away that anger. Sakura, so she could use her stronger aura. And Sauske, so he wouldn't use one at all.

- - -

Shampoo sighed, looking over at Ukyo. "I saw nothing." The Amazon replied flatly.

"Darn, I thought for sure there was someone there." The chef replied, releasing her grip from the handle of the battle spatula. "Did you see someone down there, Akane?"

The other woman glanced over at the chef, before shaking her head. "Nope, nothing."

Ukyo scowled, leaning back up from the edge of the roof, which Shampoo, standing next to her, did as well, shuffling her grip on her bonbori. "Akane's right." Ukyo thought to herself. "I do need to start training again. Here I am, imagining someone running by on the street. I got to focus."

- - -

"Naruto!" Keira shouted, glaring angrily back at the boy running behind her **again**. "Can't you run any faster?!"

Naruto glanced up at her, running up to the stopped form of the girl. "Not . . . not really." He huffed, gasping for breath at each step. "Can't . . . we go a little . . . slower?"

Keira sighed, rolling her eyes secretly. She was already going slow, much more than she wanted to, but if Naruto couldn't keep up . . . "All right, let's take a break for a second." She said, sighing to herself, and walked over towards him. She leaned on the nearby wall, giving him a chance catch his breath.

Naruto's face brightened as if he had seen an angel. "Thank you!" he huffed out, before stopping himself to lean on the wall with one hand, panting heavily and hunched over.

- - -

Haku smiled as he tossed the dice onto the board. They clinked along, before rolling to a stop. "Seven! Yes, I am so buying the Tokyo Tower!" he shouted, scrounging together the paper bills and shoving them across the table to Joseph.

"All right, all right!" Joseph replied, snatching the bills away and handing the boy the small paper card in its place. "Sheesh, it's just a game." He continued, before coughing.

"You're just mad because I'm beating you." The ninja-boy replied with a smirk.

Joseph stared at him for a moment, before turning his head away to hide the fact that he muttered, "That too," quietly. The ninja smiled.

Then, it was Pai's turn. Reaching out, she grabbed the dice, before taking them in both hands, shaking them high above her head. Swinging them around in her right hand a few times, she let them loose onto the board. "Twelve. Again!" Auska said cheerfully. "How do you keep doing that, Pai?" It was her fourth twelve in a row.

Squeaky-Squeaky! "I am a good roller!" the girl held the sign high, smiling brightly. Auska opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a strange sound.

It was static, like the kind the TV makes when the channel doesn't come through clearly, or the radio is tuned to the wrong station. Haku was the first to find the source, pulling the little Palm Pilot he had stuffed about twenty wires into.

Everyone else, especially Pai, watched the boy as he fiddled with the gadget. He was the only one at the table who could rig up anything with technology nowadays, and he did it with skill. Most of the stuff he knew how to do was well above what even Joseph could understand. He put a lot of the money he got over his life into computer equipment like what he had, taking what was cheap and making it better. So, when things weren't working, he lost interest in most everything else. The room was silent, except for Joseph coughing again, as the boy continued to examine the pad.

Tugging at a wire or two, he pressed the buttons and keys on the little pad, before sighing. "Better go check the camera." He muttered to himself, before standing up.

"I'll help." Auska said suddenly, standing up as well.

The boy paused, before looking back to her. "No, it's okay, Auska, I can handle it. Besides, it's your turn."

"Are you sure?" the girl asked.

"What's going to happen? It's probably just a loose wire. I'll be up and back in a minute." He said with a serene smile. Noticing that everyone was watching him with the same slightly worried expression on their faces, he smiled a little more. "Nothing's going to happen. It'll be fine."

The other five watched him walk away, around the corner, and out of sight into the house.

- - -

"See him yet?" Ranma asked, before realizing that may not be the best question.

Mousse shook his head anyway. "No, no sign of the old man. I think we may be in the wrong area."

"We have to keep goin', then."

"Obviously."

- - -

Tenchuu sighed as he leapt back down from the roof, before snapping the chain free from the edge, letting it fall to the ground. Once it clinked on the ground, he began to pull it back into his sleeve, causing it to disappear in his long robes. _"He's not up there, brother. I believe we are in the quietest part of town."_

_"Really? Darn, I wanted to get a chance to fight."_

_"Even though he will crush you, since we promised . . ."_

_"I know, I know."_ Chii replied, and the two boys continued on their area of search. _"It is for the best, even if I have to lose so much."_

His brother simply nodded in reply.

- - -

"So, why do you like my brother so much, anyway?" Kite asked. He could see Aki slip a little in her next step, but she quickly recovered, running normally again. "I mean, you were pretty interested in him, to me, whenever you came by."

"Naruto-kun is . . . my friend, and no more . . . besides, I am . . . already engaged to Sauske." Aki replied, not even glancing at the boy next to her.

"Then why did you drag him around everywhere, training and such? And it seemed like you were the happiest person alive whenever my brother showed up. If that's not love . . ." The boy was cut off.

"It's not!" Aki said quickly, a little flustered, before recovering her cool attitude again. "He was my . . . best chance to . . . draw out Sauske's aura."

"Sauske's aura?"

The girl nodded. "He has been . . . hiding it from me . . . and I want to know . . . what he has hidden."

Kite sighed. "Whatever you say."

Aki glared at him openly for a moment, before something clicked in her head. "Have you . . . ever seen Sauske's aura?"

The boy glanced over at her, linking, before turning back and trying to remember. Slowly, he began to talk. "I . . . I think I did . . . yeah, yeah, I did, a few times . . . last time was about . . . eh, seven or eight years ago, a little after Happosai left. Yeah, it was after that. We had a good sparing match, and I remember him having a weak blue aura, and he trounced me. I haven't seen it since, though. Hell, in the next fight we had, I crushed him, and he didn't even seem to think about using his aura. I don't know why." He shook his head. "He'd just come back from a big training trip too, and I crushed him like paper!"

The boy glanced over at Aki, only to see she was obviously deep in thought. The two continued racing down the road, before Kite remembered what they were doing here. "Well, anyway, we got to find Happosai."

Aki simply nodded.

- - -

Haku sighed to himself. The hall was empty upstairs. Except for Nabiki and Brandon downstairs, and Akari, who went to spend time with the Tofu's, all the adults were watching for something outside, or out hunting. So, the hallway was dead silent. Not a comforting sound to be all alone in.

He sighed again. It was nothing to get worked up about; there was nobody here. He walked slowly along the corridor, approaching the camera that had been malfunctioning. He had figured it out the problem before he even reached it.

One of the wires **had **come loose. The boy sighed to himself, taking the wire up from the ground, and stepping on the stool left here, placing his hand on Auska's door for balance. With a quick movement, the wire was put back into place, and the camera was fixed.

"I wonder what made it come loose." The boy muttered to himself, but didn't search, walking back down the hallway and down the stairs. Turning the corner, he re-entered the living room. "What did I miss?" he asked loudly, as everyone watched him return to his seat.

"Auska got a get out of jail card, and Amy owes you rent for the Tokyo Tower." Joseph replied.

- - -

"There he is!" Konatsu said quietly, directing Ryoga in his direction. The other man turned to look, and spotted Happosai jumping along the road, carrying a large bag of stolen goodies. "Follow me, quick!"

Ryoga locked his eyes on Konatsu, and followed as best he could.

- - -

Sakura slid to a stop. "There, Sauske!" she shouted, pointing ahead towards the man jumping towards them. Sauske barely had time to stop before his sister shoved him to the side, putting them both behind the corner of the wall.

"Are you sure?!" Sauske asked in a shouted whisper.

"Definitely. He's coming this way." The girl replied, pulling her wooden sword from her belt. "Get ready."

"Dad said we should wait for someone!"

"We can't let him get away, Sauske!" she said angrily, but did not turn away from glancing around the corner and down the road. "Besides, if we attack, we're bound to draw attention, and everyone will start coming to **us**."

Sauske paused, gritting his teeth. He had a bad feeling about this . . . but . . .

"Here he comes." Sakura whispered, as the old man came down the street towards them, only fifteen meters away. There was a pause. "Get ready." She murmured, as Happosai reached eight meters away. "Almost . . ." Three meters.

"NOW!" The girl shouted, a bright explosion of blue flying away from her, a wave of hot air smashing into Sauske's face. Sakura dashed out sideways, slashing the bag, and knocking it out of Happosai's hands, before running forward to catch up with it. Turning, the girl smashed it back, tossing it directly at Sauske, who caught it easily. "Get it out of here!"

The boy blinked, before turning and running. Sakura turned to Happosai in time to catch a metal pipe in her chin, flinging her back several meters and off her feet. The girl had barely touched the ground with her back when she flipped back up, however, even with a bleeding lip and a dark blue-black bruise already forming where she was hit.

Happosai landed calmly from his attack, spinning his pipe on his finger as he examined the girl. Her aura was impressive, a good fifteen times her own body size. It was a bright blue, with the radiant hot air flowing around. But there was something odd about it. There was no form, no shape to the aura. Most often, the energy would follow the general shape of the body, or, if it was a unique aura, form the shape of some animal. Hers was different.

It was a bright flame, flickering and flowing both with and against the wind, bathing all the space around her in a bright blue hue, not the normal dull color. Her face was calm and stoic, and she didn't even seem to notice the fact that she had been hit only a moment ago. The girl was standing, strong and ready, staring down Happosai without even questioning the slightest thing around him. Her whole life seemed centered on him at this very moment.

"So, what made you so determined?" Happosai asked casually, continuing to twirl his pipe on his finger.

Sakura gripped her hands tighter. "You're not getting away anymore, Happosai. This is the end for you."

"Really?" the man asked, before slowly starting to walk towards her. "And how do you plan on doing that?"

The girl covered the eight meter distance in seven tenths of a second. "Like this." She said in an absolute-zero voice, before slashing straight down with the sword.

CHNK! Happosai met the wood with his pipe, before slipping aside, and out from under her sword. He hopped back, before Sakura released one of her hands, jabbing the sword forward using only her right arm. Happosai hopped back, while Sakura stepped forward, jabbing again. The old man again leapt back, before hopping a third time when the girl jabbed a third time as well.

Drawing her sword back behind her as she stepped forward after her third miss, Sakura swung forward, slashing up. Happosai leapt back, flipping, and again safely avoiding the sword. "He's too fast!" Sakura shouted in her head. "Too fast for me, even **now**!" With her sword above her head, she swung straight at Happosai again, before releasing the handle, letting the weapon fly forward at the old man.

Happosai swung his pipe effortlessly, deflecting the wooden sword away. He then noticed the girl close to him again, before a flurry of fists appeared in view. "The Katchu Tenshin Amiguriken, eh?" he thought to himself, smiling a little, before stabbing with the metal smoking pipe equal to Sakura's attack. Each fist was met with cold iron.

Left. Right. Center. Top-right. Bottom. Bottom-right. Bottom-right. Bottom-right. Left. Center. Left. Top-left. Top-center. Top-right. Bottom-left. Center. Right. Right. Right. Left. Center. Bottom-center. Each swing was perfectly traced by Happosai, and met with an opposing strike from his tobacco pipe. The strikes continued, until a few seconds, and several hundred more punches, later, when Sakura slid back from her assault.

Happosai landed gently, staring up at the raven-haired girl standing in front of him. He had heard quite a loud crack midway through, and glancing at her right hand, her ring finger was dislocated. The rest of her knuckles were cracked and bleeding, but the girl ignored it completely, staring at him with the same force as before. Her face and body didn't even seem to notice the sheer pain her hand must be in.

"Giving up?" Happosai asked, staring at her.

Sakura stared at him. "I have to go further!" she shouted in her head. "I can't hold anything back, no matter how fast I'll go down when I'm done! I have to stop him!" In response to Happosai's question, however, the girl said nothing.

She simply doubled her aura's size, up to thirty times her own body size.

Happosai felt a sharp pain is his gut as he was kicked into the air, before realizing Sakura had done it, pushing him up to fist height. Using her left hand this time, the girl began another round of Kachu Tenshin Amiguriken. There was something different this time.

The punches were **much** faster.

Happosai lost count at thirty-three, which wasn't even close to the number of times he was hit in the first second. The man simply tightened his body, hoping to absorb as much of the damage as he could. The fists came sharply and quickly, but after the next second, the beating subsided.

Sakura stepped back, swinging her left hand behind herself and opening her hand, letting her fingers swing out as far as possible. A small ball of Ki formed in her palm. Her fingers stayed outstretched for a moment, before clamping down on the sphere of energy, crushing it into a million pieces. She swung her hand forward, opening the fingers again just as she neared directly pointing at Happosai. A single shout filled the empty streets.

"TOBIHI KAEN!" (Soaring Sparks)

B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-BOOM! The million tiny spheres of energy flew out in a spray, hitting Happosai with thousands of miniature energy blasts, tossing his body around and away, before he landed on the ground several meters away, sliding along the street until he hit the curb at the other side.

Sakura let her aura drop, disappearing inside her, before she fell down onto her knees. She sucked in air, clenching her teeth and twisting her face. Her mind was racked with pain, and she could feel that one of her fingers had been knocked out of place. She lowered her body down, resting her chest on her thighs, and leaving her face just above the asphalt. Her hands were draped at her side, dropped onto the ground, as she breathed hard. All she could feel was pain and exhaustion. She was so tired . . . all her energy was spent . . .

"Not bad." Happosai said, standing up and dusting himself off. Sakura looked up immediately, still clenching in pain from her hand and face. "Your aura grants you plenty of speed. **But**, not much power. And then, instead of continuing to punch and kick, you made yourself even weaker with that Tobihi Kaen. A bunch of little orbs of ki?" Happosai chuckled a little. "All that did was spread the strength out more. Your father needs to make some more concentrated techniques."

Sakura gaped at him, but could do little else as the man approached. "You hurt me, a little, but you're too weak. You have no strength, Saotome Sakura. And your sword is just a clumsy add on to make up for your lack of power. Too bad you can't even swing it fast. And you call yourself an apprentice of the Anything Goes style?"

CHK-CHK-CHK! CHINK-CHINK! Three throwing stars and a pair of kunai imbedded themselves in the spot where Happosai had been a moment before, but the man was gone, in the air and several meters in a safe direction. "SHI SHI HODOKAN!"

Sakura turned to see several Konatsus and Ryoga running towards her, focused on Happosai. Glancing back, the old man jumped up three stories, landing on the roof of a large building nearby. One of the Konatsus turned to look at Ryoga, shouting "RYOGA! Follow Happosai!" He nodded, following the other six ninjas up onto the roof of the building.

The seventh ran up and stopped in front of the girl. "Sakura! Are you all right?!" The girl nodded, slowly dulling the pain in her hand and face from her mind. "Here, I'll get you to Dr. Tofu!"

Sakura was suddenly very energized again. "No! I'll be fine! We have to stop Happosai!"

BOOM! A large explosion from the roof threw one of the Konatsus away, before he disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Five left." Konatsu thought to himself, before he winced at two powerful swings from the old man smashed two of his clones. "Three left. Damn, he's fast!"

"Go, fight him! I'll be there in a second!" Sakura shouted.

Konatsu turned back to the girl. "No, you're too hurt to fight! We have to get you to the doctor!"

"Someone will be here in a second! You have to help Hibiki-san!"

The ninja scowled, before clenching his teeth as another explosion blew two more clones away, before they reverted to smoke as well. "You're not fighting anymore! Go straight to the doctor as soon as you can!" And with that, he turned and ran, dashing up the building and onto the roof, continuing the fight.

The girl nodded at the ninja as he left, before groaning as she leaned back up. With her good arm, she pushed herself up onto her feet in a crouch. "SAKURA!" the girl turned to see who had shouted. It was her father, with Mousse and Sauske running behind him.

"UP THERE!" she screamed, pointing with her left hand towards the roof, as another clone was knocked away, disappearing at the second story into another cloud of smoke. The three people stopped, staring at her. "GO! THEY NEED YOUR HELP!"

BOOM! "RAAAAAH!" Ryoga shouted, followed by the sound of clay tiles being smashed up as he slid along the roof. Ranma cringed, before turning to the two following him, shouting something Sakura couldn't understand. Ranma and Mousse then turned to the building, jumping up. Konatsu was knocked off, spinning wildly in the air, before landing oddly on his feet. He paused, balancing himself and rubbing his chest, before jumping back up and re-joining the fray.

Sauske slid to a stop next to his sister. "Sakura, here!" He said, reaching out his hand. "I'll get you to Uncle Ono's!"

"I'm going to keep fighting!" Sakura said defiantly, standing up, slowly and painfully, on her own. She had used up all the time she could afford in her aura without going unconscious, her right hand was useless, and the bruise on her face could only hurt more if it was covered with salt and hydrogen peroxide, but she would not be deterred. She **had** to keep fighting, until she was defeated. Nothing else could change that.

"Sakura, you can't!"

"They're up there!" Kite shouted, running around the corner, pointing up at the building. Aki nodded, before they realized they had heard Sauske nearby. Turning, they saw him and her sister standing by the road. Sauske was fine, but Sakura was obviously hurt. "Sakura!"

"I'M FINE!" she screamed, before brushing her brother away, and walking forward towards her sword. Kite and Aki raced up to her just as she began leaning up again, gripping the wooden blade in her good hand. The Saotome soon found herself surrounded by three martial artists, set on not allowing her to move.

"Sauske, Aki!" Kite commanded. "Go up and help everyone else! I'll get her to the Doc's." Aki nodded, bolting off and jumping up to the roof. Sauske paused, before nodding, and following after the Amazon. "Come on, Sakura," the boy continued, a bit softer, as he took her by the arm, "let's get you to Doc's."

"I'm going to keep fighting!" Sakura replied, more demanding than commanding.

"You're hurt!"

"I have to help! I'm not going to let him get away again!"

"You can't help if you get in everyone's way! And if you're hurt, everyone else has to watch you!"

"I'm going up whether or not you let me! If I have to get there myself, I will!" The girl pushed past him, brushing his hand away, and started to hobble across the sidewalk and down onto the road.

"Arrogant, annoying little . . . EERGH!" Kite shouted. "FINE!" he screamed, running forward, scooping up the girl, and heading for the building with the Saotome in his arms.

- - -

"Keira, do you see it?!" Naruto shouted from the ground, as Keira watched the scene in front of her on top of a small building, using the binoculars Naruto had been carrying to search for Happosai.

Ranma was fighting Happosai, but the other three adults were gone. Beaten, apparently, since there were kunai, throwing stars, bandannas, and a whole slew of chain weapons all over the roof. The girl gulped as she watched Aki and Sauske hop onto the roof, before Ranma shouted something, and both of them stopped. There, they stood, watching, on the far side of the shingles, watching the fight continue. Somehow, it seemed the battle was becoming one sided. In Happosai's favor.

"We have to go!" Keira shouted, before she began sprinting along rooftops at her maximum speed.

Naruto looked up to see the girl was long gone. "What?! Where?! Keira?!" When he got no response, he groaned, and began running to where he thought the girl had gone.

- - -

"_I don't know where it came from!_" Chii shouted, looking around wildly, and not spotting anything.

Tenchuu began searching with his eyes as well, before the two of them continued on to the next intersection. "_Keep looking! We need to find out where those explosions were!_"

- - -

Haku smiled as he tossed the dice again. "Eleven! Yes, Chance!" He slid his piece over to the spot, before drawing the second "Get out of Jail Free!" card. He was about to celebrate, though, when something caught his eye.

Placing the card down on the table, he picked up the palm pilot, as it continued to display four cameras' views for a few seconds, before turning to the next set of four. Fiddling with the buttons, he cycled through until he found the problem. One view was completely black.

"Is something wrong, Haku?" Amy asked, peering over at the screen with everyone else.

The boy paused, before looking up with a smile. "Nope! Let me just go fix some little thing, then I'll be back." Slowly, the ninja rose from his seat, walking towards the hallway.

"Need any help?" Joseph asked, before coughing again.

The Kuonji turned back, smiling more. "Nah, it'll be quick." And then, he dissapeared out the door.

Squeaky-Squeaky! "Are you getting a cold, Joseph?" Pai scribbled, swinging the sign into view.

Joseph looked over, before shaking his head. "It comes and goes. I'm fine."

- - -

Keira was running scared. Her father was already down, and Ranma was the only one of the adults still fighting. She had to hurry. She knew if she could get there, she could help, but she still had to **get** there.

Her feet began to run faster, leaping from rooftop to rooftop smoothly and perfectly. The distance was closing; she would be there soon. Keira had already let her aura go fully, a well formed trail of herself in dull blue, but, wanting more speed, she began trying to force more out. It was next to impossible to do, straining and burning her muscles, but it did give her just a little bit more speed.

She had to make it!

- - -

"Ukyo?" Shampoo asked, looking over at the woman. "Something wrong?"

"Just . . . a bad feeling, or . . . I don't know." Ukyo muttered.

Akane nodded knowingly. "Something's coming. Whether it's here or with them, something's coming. Something big."

- - -

Haku sighed to himself as he approached this camera. The door to Auska's room, the closest nearby, sat slightly ajar, just like before, along with every other door in the hall. Nothing had changed, and yet this same camera decided to break again. Stepping up to the door, he glanced up at the back of the metal box attached to the wall.

And stopped.

None of the wires had come out. That was odd. Then why was the screen black? Turning the camera with his hand, he saw the problem. There was something on the lens. Carefully reaching up, he lightly touched the lens with his finger, before bringing it down to examine it.

"Paint?" Haku said to nobody. "How did paint get on the lens? Did . . ." Suddenly, something went around his neck.

Then everything went black.

- - -

Ranma groaned to himself. He was not doing as well as he had hoped. And now Sakura was standing on the edge of the roof with Kite, Aki, and Sauske, instead of going to the doctor's like he had said. This was not good.

The roof was battered, with pieces of broken red-clay shingles everywhere. The location could have been better for Ranma, seeing how little room he had to move in. It was peaked, which made it very hard to keep level all the time, and at each end, about a forty meter distance, the roof rose another story, leaving a flat wall at either end.

"I told ya, the answer is **no**!" Ranma shouted, sliding his feet into a more secure position.

Happosai sighed. "Ranma, all I need is one more. One more apprentice! Someone to lead the Anything Goes Style on into the future!"

"What the hell do ya think I've been doin', moron?!"

"I meant the pure, original Anything Goes! Not your watered-down version!"

"Well then, I guess you ain't gettin' what you wanted!"

"Happo Fire Burst!" The old man shouted, flinging a bomb directly at Ranma again. He caught it gracefully in his hands, before throwing it straight into the sky. BOOM! The burst was totally harmless, and so Ranma turned his attention back to his opponent.

"So, you run out of tricks?"

Happosai blinked. "Tricks? Is that all you think I can do?" He reached back, pulling a new, larger bomb out. "Then I shall not disappoint you, Ranma!" Striking the match on his side, he swung the small flame onto the fuse, before hurling the object at his opponents.

Ranma watched the trail of the newly lit bomb, before he realized the path. "Dammit!" he shouted, before running to where he thought it would go.

- - -

Keira gasped as she saw the explosion just up ahead, high in the sky. "I have to hurry!" she thought to herself, before forcing herself to run even faster. When she reached the building, she drew the grappling hook from her pouch, attached the piece of cable she had in one smooth motion, and threw over the edge of the roof. Something had to be left for Naruto, after all.

With her partner's route up prepared, and as she let the cable go from her hand, the ninja leapt up for the roof.

- - -

Kite, seeing the bomb coming towards the four of them, dragged Sakura to his other side, before stepping in between her and the bomb. "Get back, everyone!" It was heading for him now, and so, he would just . . .

"I don't think so, Happy!" Ranma shouted, sliding along the ground. Flicking himself into the air, he did a flip kick, shooting the bomb across the roof to the empty space. The bomb went spiraling off to the other side of the roof, the fuse trailing down. Then Ranma saw something terrible.

Without a sound, Keira landed on the roof, directly in front of the bomb. "Keira! MOVE!" Ranma shouted.

The ninja looked up to see the bomb less than half a meter away. Her arms swung up to protect her face.

"KEIRA?!" Sauske screamed, taking a few steps forward, before stopping when the force of the explosion hit him.

BOOOOMM!

"KEIRAAA!"

Next Chapter: A giant fighter and a demon of fire face off as the current battle with Happosai comes to a close.

* * *

And there you go, chapter twenty five.I think the fight in this chapter came out well, but I'm not a hundred percent sure of myself, since I haven't done this long a fight scene recently. And, if I'm guessing correctly, there's plenty of pent-up suspense in this chapter, although you'll have to wait until next time to find out what happens. Sorry.

Tobihi Kaen literally translates to "Flying Spark Flames".

Anyway, on with the reviews:

Sleepingbear: Okay,I know there is not a lot of humor right now, and the story is really serious. But, in the kind of story and path that the kids are in right now, it's not only hard for me to put in humor, it would spoil the serious mood that the situation really needs. But, don't worry. Once the whole arc about Happosai comes to a close, the story will get a lot lighter in mood. Also, as for there being little _Ranma 1/2_ fanfiction that is still good,I think that this is definitely not the end of _Ranma 1/2_. Plenty of people are still writing, and as long as somebody is writing and someone is willing to read, it will not end.

And yes, Pai is adorable.

Paige C: Glad to improve your impression of the ninja girl! And, as you can tell, yes, the fight with Happosai has begun. As for Sauske's mark and his use of the secret power . . . well . . . you'll just have to wait a little more to find out.

Oh, and don't worry about a long review. I love long reviews! In fact, the more you put into the review, especially real comments and criticisms, along with questions and concerns, is great because it gives me a better view of what you all think of the story. (Oh, and more to write here.)

Shinjiku: Okay,I have to disagree with you here about Keira. WhenI read what she does,I see her as planning out exactly what she's going to do and say before she does it. I see her as planning out that whole speech she gave to Aki about how Sauske's aura was dangerous the day after the fight between naruto and Sauske. But,I do agree that she doesn't listen, preferring to say everything she has without giving anyone, especially Aki, a chance to respond until she's done. But it could go either way, soI can see that as a definite possobility too.

The Liz: Well, they went BOOM!, and they will again. So, hope you enjoyed the fight. And hey, someboyd has to fill the void that Nabiki left. Even if it's only part of it.


	26. The Human Inferno

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma 1/2_, nor claim to.

Chapter Twenty Six: The Human Inferno:

"The world is my expense, the cost of my desire. Jesus blessed me with its future, and I protect it with fire." Rage Against the Machine: _Sleep Now in the Fire_

Without a sound, Keira landed on the roof, directly in front of the bomb. "Keira! MOVE!" Ranma shouted.

The ninja looked up to see Happosai's bomb less than half a meter away. Her arms swung up to protect her face.

"KEIRA?!" Sauske screamed, taking a few steps forward, before he was stopped by the force of the explosion.

BOOOOMM!

"KEIRAAA!"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEE!" a female voice screamed, filling the air, before the fire began to dissipate. Instantly, Sauske was through, running across the roof after the girl. Jumping down, he saw Keira's tumbling body smash roughly into the ground, bouncing across the black asphalt several times, before landing on the concrete sidewalk and rolling over and over to a stop. A total, motionless stop.

Sauske fell to his knees as soon as he was next to her. "KEIRA?!" he shouted, grabbing her shoulders and rolling her over onto her back, the kunai clinking on the pavement as he turned her over. She wasn't too burned, but her sleeves were scorched and some hairs were singed. But the force had not only smashed her bracer into her cheek and knocked her off the building, but also had knocked the girl out cold.

Or worse; Sauske couldn't tell yet.

He slid a pair of trembling fingers onto her neck, like his uncle had taught him, feeling for a pulse. The body was limp, flopping around however Sauske moved her. It took him several seconds to calm himself down enough to actually feel the pulse under his fingertips. He held his breath, hoping there was one under there.

There was a pulse in the girl; it was weak, but it was there. And then, Sauske broke down.

"Keira!" he muttered, dragging the girl against his chest, clutching onto her like a child holds onto his mother when he's afraid. Her arms and head flopped around a bit, before they came to rest on the boy, her breathing random and uncontrolled. And there, he began to cry.

"Why?!" he shouted in a whisper. "Why?! Why why why?!" It was all he could think of at the moment, his heart racing faster than a bullet train. Nothing in him wanted to let go.

He could feel a gentle trickle, blood, slipping onto his neck, probably from the small cut on her face where her bracer contacted her face. He didn't want to go anywhere. He wanted Keira to get up, smile, laugh, and say "Hello, Sauske-kun!" just one more time right now. He didn't want to wait.

But the girl didn't move.

"Why did this have to happen?!" he muttered to himself, before he realized what the answer was. There was nothing else to be done. The culprit was known, and there was no question.

"I have to." He muttered to himself quietly between whimpers in his sobbing.

"Sauske?" A voice came up, before it continued by screaming "KEIRA?!"

Sauske could hear footsteps run up to him, before stopping and lowering the body down on the other side of the girl. Sauske continued to clutch her, protecting her as best he could, even if he was too late.

"SAUSKE?! WHAT HAPPENED?!" The voice continued to shout, but Sauske wasn't listening.

"I have to." He muttered to himself quietly again.

"WHAT?!"

"Naruto." Sauske replied, a little louder. The boy in front of him froze at the coldness in Sauske's voice. "Take Keira to Dr. Tofu's. Don't stop for anything. Don't let anything happen to her, understand?"  
Naruto nodded immediately. "Of course!" he shouted, before looking back to Sauske. "What about you?"

"There's something I have to do. I can't take her, so I need you to."

Slowly, Sauske began to loosen his hold on the girl, swinging her out into Naruto's waiting arms. Lifting her up gently, Naruto slowly stood, holding the unconscious ninja, one arm midway up her back, the other underneath her knees. He looked up to see Sauske's face, flushed red with a few tears, which were quickly wiped away.

"What are you waiting for?" Sauske asked in the cold voice. "Get going." The redness of his face had vanished by now.

Naruto paused a moment more, before nodding. "Right. I'm going." He turned, taking a few steps, before turning back to Sauske. "Make him pay." He muttered, before running off.

Sauske turned to the building he had just come off of. "No need to remind me, Naruto. He'll pay for this." With that, he sprinted forward, hopping onto a parked car's roof before jumping all the way up, to the battered roof.

- - -

The roof was in tatters. The red clay was shattering easily, leaving sharp, broken fragments strewn around, and little slips where other tiles would fall away. The battle continued on unabated, however.

Ranma fired off a Tenba Hibashira, which missed easily again. He needed to get Happosai distracted, or behind him, at least, **while** he's in the air. He could take him down with the geyser, but it was too easy to dodge. And now, with Keira knocked off, he couldn't concentrate.

Kite, Sakura, and Aki had raced to the other side to look for the girl. "Naruto's there!" Sakura shouted.

They waited as the girl was transferred over. "He's taking Keira to the Doc's!" Kite shouted as well.

"Where's Sauske?!" Ranma shouted, as he dashed in several steps to throw a punch at Happosai.

"He's . . ." Kite began, before he realized the boy was in the air, barreling towards them. The three split just fast enough to let the boy land and sprint off after Ranma and Happosai. His eyes were completely unconcerned; all three noticed that. But only one knew what it meant.

"RAAAAHH!" Sauske shouted, racing between Ranma and Happosai, swinging, and contacting, the old man on the cheek with his fist.

Happosai spun away, before landing gently on the edge of the roof. Sauske stopped immediately, his inertia sliding him across several shingles before he halted completely. Ranma just looked on dumbfounded.

"Father! Sauske's going to use it!" Sakura shouted, knowing exactly what those determined eyes meant.

Ranma blinked, turning and glancing at Sakura, before looking back at Sauske just in time to see Happosai leap past him, smashing the boy aside and away by hitting him in the chest with his tobacco pipe. The boy flew away, smashing into the raised end of the taller roof at the end of the battlefield, bashing and cracking the boards behind him. His body slid down an inch, but otherwise, he was still, his feet limply supporting the body against the wall.

"Sakura, can ya stop him if he uses it?!" Ranma shouted to his daughter.

"Are you crazy?! I've only been able to stop it in the middle once, and that was with Keira! By myself, especially with Keira being the one hurt, . . . it's suicide until he's at the end!"

"But you were . . . Damn!" Ranma muttered, trusting in his daughter, before starting to step away from Happosai. "All right, Happy, it's up to you. You can give up, or get beaten into the ground."

The old man tilted his head at Ranma, before chuckling a bit. "Ranma, you expect too much from . . ."

"You!" Sauske shouted.

Happosai turned back to see the boy, still leaning against the wall, slowly lifting himself off of it. He wasn't pointing or looking at him, his head hanging down with black hair draped in his eyes, but it was clear whom he was talking to. "What do you want?" the old man asked.

"You . . . is this what you want to do? Go around hurting people . . . without a thought about what happens to them or the people they care for? . . . Do you think that's a good system for life?! Hurting anyone you want?!"

"She shouldn't have been where she was, if that's what you mean." Happosai replied, before taking a deep breath from his pipe.

The boy was silent for a moment. "You don't care, do you? About what happens? If someone gets hurt, it's just collateral damage to you, isn't it? Whether or not someone gets hurt isn't your concern. People are responsible for themselves, but not for their actions?!" Happosai tilted his head again. "Well, I won't let you get away with hurting anyone else! You've hurt enough people for no reason!" Sauske slowly looked up, staring directly into Happosai's eyes.

Happosai stepped back one step, staring back in fear. Sauske's eyes were a calm blue, but the look he gave him made them look blood red. There was pure rage in his eyes; pure, unadulterated rage, all directed at him, and not even a twinge of fear or uncertainty appeared in the boy's face. The old man gulped slightly, but then held his ground.

"You're not getting away with this anymore. And you're not getting away with what you did to Keira!" Sauske shouted, clenching his fists, his knees bending as he prepared to attack.

There was a sudden change in the environment. Happosai felt a surge of hot air blast into him, totally unexpected, causing him to shield his eyes for a moment, letting the dust that had been kicked up by it whip past him. After a moment, he lowered his arms, before gasping.

There stood Sauske, still with the bloodthirsty look in his eyes, surrounded by red. Not figuratively, but literally. A huge aura surrounded the boy, a good ten to fifteen times his size, all a bright, crimson hue. It flowed and flickered with the wind, forming the shape of a giant flame. Anyone who would have seen it might have sworn he was on fire, but Happosai knew better. That was a battle aura. Far bigger than most could accomplish.

"Oh god!" Sakura shouted. "It's out!"

"RAAAAAAAAH!" Sauske screamed, the bright red flow flickering brightly at the boy's cry. The color grew deeper and stronger, before it suddenly began to move.

In a moment, Sauske was up to Happosai, swinging a right hook over and down his body, smashing into the ground. Happosai slid away, and so, Sauske's fist impaled the ground. The tiles smashed, flinging debris everywhere, shingles within a good half-meter around the point of impact shattering under the pure force of Sauske's blow. Drawing up his scratched hand, Sauske then took off after Happosai again.

The old man jumped back again, trying to put some distance between himself and the enraged assailant, but the boy did not halt, doggedly chasing him down each and every hop away. Every few steps back, the Saotome would swing at him, dropping him back more when he missed, before bolting to catch back up and swing again. Happosai landed softly again, before noticing the wall was at his back.

Perfect.

Jumping into the air, the old man flipped as Sauske went to pound him into the wall, missing completely. Swinging out his pipe, the master smacked the boy in the back of the skull, hurtling him forward the last half meter into the wall, causing a loud CRASH! and a thin puff of dust and crushed wood to flush back out.

And so, safe, Happosai landed gently on the ground.

Until he was kicked in the back, tossing him a meter into the air, his back to the ground, his arms flailing, before a hand appeared over his face. His body felt a huge shift in direction as the hand slammed him directly into the ground, crushing the tiles underneath him. His vision returned an instant later, when the hand raised up, balled into a fist, and came shooting down at him.

Sauske let his red-sheathed hand come crashing down into the ground, shattering all the tiles within a half-meter wide circle around the point of impact. He grimaced slightly, before turning his head up. His body was crouched and poised to run, and in his eyes, several meters away, he saw the one person he wanted right now. Standing, breathing heavily, but escaped from his grasp again.

Happosai stared in horror. The boy slowly stood again, as the old man took up a traditional fighting stance. The red aura flaming from the boy was huge, almost as large as his own aura. The dust and small cut on his cheek seemed totally ignored by the boy, as he watched Happosai with a vengeful disdain.

"This could be a bit more difficult than I thought." The old man muttered in his head.

- - -

Aki gulped loudly again. Sauske was standing perfectly still, staring down the man known as Happosai. But her interest wasn't there; no, it was much more focused on her "future-husband".

And the fire that was sprouting from him.

The boy held his hands clenched, his arms taunt in a standard stance. And his whole body was that tight, ready to spring in an instant. But flowing from him, from every pore and fiber of being that Saotome Sauske was, a deep, thick, crimson aura dripped out, forming a huge field, surrounding him and flowing gently. It was formless and directionless, settling instead into the form of a great flame, flickering and flowing in the breeze, little tips whipping around along the edges. The warmth it gave off built a wall of heat, radiating off even to them, some distance away, just slightly. The girl could feel the slight difference between the cold air nipping at her backside, and the slightly hot air plastered onto her face.

Glancing to her side, first at the partner she had been with, Kite, standing beyond Sakura, she saw a look of surprise and doubt. She guessed she looked the same. Neither of them really knew what was going on, but yet, here they were. Then, something else caught her eye. Sakura.

Turning her eyes to focus on the other Saotome, she saw something she wouldn't have expected. Fear. She was grimacing with pain, but her eyes were afraid. Following their path, although it was obvious what she was looking at anyway, she confirmed the belief. Sakura was afraid of Sauske, or whatever the aura was, or . . . something about what was going on. Aki wasn't quite sure. Glancing across to the other side of the roof, she saw a similar expression on Saotome Ranma's face.

Aki turned back to the battle when Happosai released a large flow of aura, forming a huge version of himself behind his body, equal in height to the boy's, although not quite as clear. But the same question bugged her in the back of her mind. "_What is that aura?_" she thought to herself.

- - -

"RAAAAGH!" Sauske shouted, running forward again, the red flame trailing behind him as he bolted forward, his arms staying close to his face for protection.

Happosai merely set his feet in. "HYAH!" he shouted, swinging his arm out, as the giant aura form did as well. The aura swung forward, speeding towards the boy. Sauske dodged aside at the last moment, sidestepping to safety as the aura arm crushed the ground he was in a moment before. And then, Sauske kept running.

Turning to face the boy, Happosai swung again, launching another blast of aura, which the boy jumped over. Arching his body back and drawing his fist into a ready position, Sauske punched down with all his might as he fell towards Happosai. The old man, unable to move, was crushed down into the roof again, his aura shrinking back somewhat from the blow.

The boy, now on his feet again, reared up, and slammed his fist down into the ground again, and again, missed Happosai, shattering the tiles on the roof. But, instead of dodging this time, Happosai escaped a different way. Rolling aside, before hooking onto Sauske's arm with the bend in his pipe, he swung himself up and around, before kicking the boy in the face.

Sauske's body was forced back under the blow, followed by the old man unleashing a devastating combination of blows. Swinging up with the pipe, Happosai knocked Sauske up into the air, and onto his feet, his legs stretching to touch the ground. There, he jabbed several times into the boy's ribs with the same pipe, the final one having a very satisfying CRACK! Then, he swung and hit the boy's arm, before spinning around and smashing Sauske in the side of the face, sending the boy's body spinning.

SMACK! Happosai was thrown away when the spin he put on the boy ended up against him. Sauske, without missing a beat, forced the spin more, before back-roundhouse kicking the old man away, and then landing roughly on his feet, the spin still going.

Lowering his body, Sauske twisted in a crouch, his hand reaching out at the broken roof, snatching up two halves of a broken clay tile. When he had almost spun completely around again, he stood, and looked to the falling form of Happosai.

The old man reached the ground just in time to turn back to his opponent, and see two pieces of red clay come shooting at him. Knocking one away with his pipe, he leaped to get over the second, escaping the attack to the head, but still getting nicked on the arm. With the broken edge at front. Happosai landed with a cut in his sleeve and his arm. Turning back to Sauske, trying to collect his breath, he saw the boy standing, totally calm, and not even winded.

- - -

"How can he shatter tiles like that?!" Kite shouted to nobody. "Is his aura smashing all the ones around his fist?!"

"No." Sakura replied calmly, never turning away her eyes. Aki and Kite, however, turned to her, very interested. "His aura doesn't give him any special abilities, or new techniques, or anything like that. Just two things. One is strength."

"Strength? You mean . . ."

Sakura nodded. "When Sauske hit the ground with his fist, all the tiles in a half meter circle didn't break by his aura. His strength is to the point that the shock from his fist can shatter them all with just one punch." She paused. "And if we get in his way, he won't even hesitate to crush all of us with that power." Noticing the spooked glances from the Amazon and the Hibiki, she sighed. "Why the hell did you think we were waiting over here?!"

- - -

"Auska?" Joseph asked. "Where are you going?"

"It's been five minutes. I'm just going to make sure he doesn't need any help." The girl replied with a smile. "Don't worry. I won't be long."

Everyone in the room, both Joseph, Amy, and Pai at the table and Brandon and Nabiki sitting by the far side of the room, watched her go out the door. The silence from the time they were waiting was deafening, only occasionally being broken by the sounds up on the roof. Like right now.

- - -

"I told you, I'm going!" Akane shouted, pulling wildly against Ukyo's firm grip on her wrist, the three women all looking out at the large flame in the sky, set next to the giant shape of Happosai.

Ukyo shook her head, pulling more to keep her friend here. "No!" She shouted. "We're supposed to stay here, hon'! In case Happosai . . ."  
"HAPPOSAI IS THERE, NOT HERE!" Akane screamed, before renewing her struggle.

"DOESN'T MATTER!" Ukyo screamed just as loud, before snapping her arms back with all her might, dragging the other martial artist back and onto the ground. Dropping to her knees, Ukyo caught the woman on the front of the shoulders, before slamming Akane into the ground. "Ranma said to stay here!" she continued, quieter but still firmly.

Akane stared up, fear in her eyes. "But, if that's Ranma, someone has to go calm him down!"

"And if it's not Ranma?! What if it's Sauske?!"

"If it's Sauske, then someone's probably hurt! We have to make sure they get to Ono's!" Akane replied immediately.

Ukyo shook her head, her voice quieting more. "We can't do that, Akane! We've got a job to do, remember! We have to make sure everyone here is safe! . . . A martial artist's duty, remember, sugar?"

Akane stopped struggling, turning her eyes away. She opened her mouth to reply . . .

"HAKU?!"

Immediately, the three women looked up, trying to find where the voice came from. It was feminine, young, from . . . INSIDE THE HOUSE?!

- - -

Auska rolled the fallen camera back, turning the boy over onto his back, placing his head onto her lap. Haku was lying on the floor, unconscious, when she came in the room, the camera that he must have been working on laying on the ground beside him. It probably fell, hitting him on the head . . . and here he was.

She brushed his hair, a few tears in her eye. She was scared. He didn't **seem **hurt, but . . . she couldn't tell. "Haku!" she muttered to herself quietly, before the sounds of footsteps running up the stairs overtook anything she heard or said.

"Auska! What's . . . Oh my god! HAKU!"

There were similar shouts from everyone, all crowding around. The whole house was here in the hallway, making noise and doing their best to figure out what was going on. It was Ukyo, however, who ended up being able to lift Haku up, and was first to start running. Auska was close by, along with Pai, trying, and failing, to get everyone's attention with a sign, and the three went out, Ukyo shouting for everyone else to stay behind. She meant Pai and Auska too, but those two followed anyway.

- - -

Sauske took off running again, to which Happosai reacted simply. Drawing his hands back, he focused his giant self, and shot another blast of his aura straight for Sauske. This time, however, Sauske wasn't able to dodge in time.

The wave smashed into the boy, shoving him back, as his arms feebly rose to help absorb part of the attack. His red aura swirled as the blast approached, tearing through his own as it continued to push him back. Sauske slowed to a stop a moment later, his arms still crossed over his body, several minuscule cuts along his forehead and hands.

- - -

"_What is that?!_" Chii shouted, pointing off into the distance. Tenchuu turned back, running up to his brother, before stopping and staring up. "_It looks like an aura._"

"_I think it is! That figure is an aura, for certain, but that flame . . . it's so pure!_"

"_Could it be Aki?!_"

"_I don't think so . . ._" Tenchuu paused, watching the flame, before pointing. "_The flame! It's moving!_"

"_Let's go!_" Chii shouted, which Tenchuu immediately nodded to, and both began running towards the big, red flame.

- - -

"RAAAGH!" Sauske shouted, barreling straight for Happosai again, his eyes never wavering, the flame never shrinking, and the fury stronger than ever.

"A bit repetitive, aren't you?" Happosai mumbled, before preparing another aura blast. Waiting for Sauske to get too close again, he fired at the last possible moment. And was rewarded.

The boy was able to get his arms up faster, just as his aura began to swirl as the attack approached, but was still shoved back along the ground, cracking and shattering tiles under his feet as he slid away. His eyes noticed something. The last vestige of rational thought was able to put the idea into words for only a moment. "That's when the attack is coming!" was the whole response.

Sauske snorted. "I have my promise to keep, you old bastard!" The boy repositioned his hands, cocking and curing his fingers slightly, but not into a fist. They were open, as if to catch something. He raised his hands in front of his face, before starting to run again, straight for Happosai.

Happosai looked on with a curious eye, before charging his aura again, concentrating it into another blast in his hands, before looking up at Sauske. "Didn't you hear me?!" was his shout, before releasing the blast again, headed straight for Sauske.

The Saotome made no attempt to dodge, simply forcing his hands in the way of the blast. The red aura swirled again, the surge of energy getting closer and closer. As soon as he felt it, the conscious thought drifted away, and his fingers dug into the force, even though it hadn't reached him yet. Yet there was a substance there, and once he had dug in, he wouldn't let go.

"RAAAAAGHH!" he shouted, before flinging his arms to the side, taking whatever he had along with his hands.

- - -

"_CHII! Look at that!_" Tenchuu shouted, pointing his hand at the spectacle, as the giant aura of a man was ripped nearly in two, starting at the arm, a rough, unfocused edge wherever the aura was torn.

Chii paused a moment with his brother, before his eyes became afraid. "_It must have been Aki! Somehow! But . . . how did she get her burst to last so long, and get so large?!_" The two paused for another moment. "_Let's hurry!_"

And then they were off running again.

- - -

"GAAAAAHH!" Happosai screamed, clutching his arm as his own aura was ripped along his blast.

"What the hell was that?!" Kite shouted in Sakura's ear, as the three of them watched the battle continue to unfold.

Sakura paled a bit, shaking her head. "I . . . I don't know! I've . . . I've never seen him do that before!"

"What do you mean you don't know?!"

"Stop shouting in my ear, stupid!" Sakura shouted back. "When I say I don't know, I mean I DON'T KNOW!"

Aki ignored them, watching Sauske. "_How did he do that?!_" she thought in her head. "_I couldn't even see the edge of the aura, and I know he can't! The only person I know who could split an aura . . . how did he do it?!_"

- - -

Happosai could feel his whole arm, and most of his body, burning in pain. He couldn't understand what happened, but he had never felt this hurt before. His aura stood, torn in two, above him, slowly healing, mending itself back together. He turned his head upwards, watching it collect and reform, slowly. As it did, the pressure and pain began to lessen. But it was slow. He turned his head to look back at Sauske.

Sauske, clenching his hands again, raced forward, running over the shattered holes that remained from his previous attacks and the battles of before, dodging around the imbedded kunai and chains, his entire focus still planted on Happosai. The giant figure's aura was starting to recover, rebuilding itself and reconnecting together. He saw the old man slowly begin to stand as he reached a distance of ten meters.

Happosai shuddered under the pain it took to stand, before realizing how close Sauske was. "It hurts!" he thought to himself. "The pain is far too much!" Suddenly, something clicked in his mind.

Sauske shot his right arm back, elbow bent, ready to punch, before leaping up, readying himself to slam down on Happosai again. "But . . ." The distance closed to only three meters, Sauske flying down to deliver his attack. Happosai tightened the grip he had on his pipe.

THWOCK! "I'll still fight!" the old man shouted as he slammed the pipe with all his might into Sauske's chest again, launching the boy up into the air. His whole body shuddered in strain, but the attack worked. The boy was tossed a good forty meters into the air, his arms and legs flailing as his body spun around wildly. He seemed to gain control of his movement as he came tumbling back down, turning his body so that he was face down as he approached the roof.

BOOM! A wave of dust flew out as the boy crashed into the tiles, sending bits of red clay and smoke around, obscuring any sight of the fallen boy. Happosai sighed, taking a deep breath. It was done. A moment later, his aura was fully restored, and while he was exhausted, he wasn't seriously hurt.

Running on instinct and reflexes, however, was just enough to allow him to escape two more tile shards that came spinning at him. Turning back to the smoke, he noticed that the giant field of red was still there. And, with a gentle breeze, he saw a panting boy, crouched down, staring at the old man with blood in his eyes.

"Why don't you ever give up?!" Happosai shouted as the boy began running towards him again.

"SHUT UP!" Sauske screamed, sprinting forward with total disregard for anything. The boy clenched his fists, before the distance was close enough to swing. Happosai jumped up to be at equal height. "It's over!" he shouted, swinging out with his left arm.

"For you, yes!" Happosai shouted, grabbing the boy by the wrist, and using it to swing around and kick the boy in the face and twist his arm out to the side.

SNAP! WHAP! With a kick to the elbow and a backhand to the back of the head, Happosai sent the boy tumbling forward onto the ground, before gently falling down to the ground himself, landing smoothly on his feet. "And, it's done." Slowly, the man began to walk away, less because he was victorious, and more to assure himself distance in case the unthinkable happened. Which was very,** very** unlikely, considering . . .

- - -

"_OH GOD!_" Aki shouted suddenly, staring in horror at what just happened. The blow to the head wasn't too bad, but . . .

"He just dislocated his elbow! Dammit, that's got to hurt like hell!" Kite shouted. "It's all over." He tacked on quietly.

Sakura gulped. "If that's what you believe, you better turn away." Aki and Kite turned to her, pale, with questioning looks on their faces. "It's not going to be pretty."

- - -

Ranma ran quickly, since he had to make sure he stopped him. Sliding to a stop, he pointed an accusing finger at Happosai. "It's not over yet, Happosai! Don't you forget about me!"

The old man smiled, shaking his head. "All right then, Ranma, let's . . ."

"We're . . . NOT DONE YET!"

- - -

Sauske stood, panting, his forearm twisted the wrong way at the elbow, hanging limply at his side. The bright flame was ever-present, and flaming to its fullest.

"Don't you know when to quit? Your arm is useless now." Happosai commanded, turning back to the boy as Ranma suddenly backed off.

"I changed my mind from before." The boy commanded equally, reaching over and grabbing his left wrist in his right arm. "Before, I was just going to beat you into the ground. Now . . . I'm going put you down forever."

SNAP! Pulling with al the might he could muster in his right arm, he relocated his elbow properly with a sickening noise, before releasing his left wrist, and calmly swinging both arms into position, each gently rising and falling with each labored breath. "I'm going to kill you, you stupid bastard!"

- - -

"What the hell did he just do?!" Kite shouted. "How can he do that to himself without even flinching?!"

"His aura." Sakura replied, clenching her good hand. The two other teens with her turned to her again. "The second thing is . . . when it's out, he . . . can't feel pain, or stress, or fatigue. He doesn't feel anything beyond his hatred. To him, he doesn't get tired, he doesn't get hurt. All that matters is the fight. We don't feel anything else."

Aki gulped, before turning back to the fight. Nothing had moved yet, but something new entered her thoughts. "But . . . Sauske looks tired!"

Sakura suddenly looked up. "WHAT?!" Her eyes turned immediately to the boy. It was tough to make out in the darkness, but after a moment, she could clearly see the boy panting heavily. She turned to Ranma. "FATHER! LOOK AT SAUSKE!"

The man looked over, gasped, and stood in a ready fighting stance, his hands clenched into a single fist.

"Sakura, what's going on?!" Kite shouted.

"Sauske! He has, maybe a minute of strength left, tops, before he's going to go out like a light!"

- - -

Happosai shuddered. He needed to do something. Escape seemed the only viable option. This . . . Sauske was a monster, or a demon, or something! Nobody, not even him, could have taken that much punishment and stand as strong as he was. He had to distract him, and get away. And hope the plan was a success. It should be, but he was supposed to crush everyone here . . . aw, the details didn't matter anymore.

"So, you want to kill me?" Happosai muttered, a plan already formed in his mind. Sauske nodded. Happosai secretly drew one of his firebombs. "Well, then," he muttered, lighting the match, "what do you do now?! HAPPO FIRE BURST!"

Throwing the bomb, he watched, knowing it would draw a reaction out of the boy. He already knew, from the two weeks observance they had done, that he cared deeply about his sister, and he wouldn't abandon his friends. Ranma was too far away to do anything, and so, with the bomb hurtling towards them, Sauske would run to their rescue. Who else would stop a bomb hurtling towards the three besides Sauske?

Sauske didn't even look, slowly starting to walk towards the old man.

- - -

"SHOOT! It's coming right at us!" Kite shouted, before grabbing the sword from Sakura's belt, and stepping forward. "Batter up!"

WHAM! Like the old Babe Ruth, Kite, using the sword like a bat, swatted the bomb away, and back across the path between Sauske and Happosai.

- - -

WHAM! The sound of bat on bomb changed Sauske's slow, calm pace greatly. He began sprinting forward, before reaching out and grabbing the bomb out of the air. "Like I said, you're dead!"

- - -

Happosai had to think, fast. Sauske was running for him, carrying a single bomb in his hands. He was less than ten meters away, when something caught his eye. Sauske began to draw back the bomb, holding it directly at his side, ready to throw.

"SAUSKE! THE FUSE!" Ranma shouted.

Happosai smirked as the boy ignored him, watching the fuse disappear inside. He jumped back, well into the air, covering his front with his arms.

BOOM! "RAAAAAAGH!" Sauske screamed, the bomb exploding in his hands and throwing him aside. It wasn't the biggest one tossed that day, but it still blew him to the edge of the roof, crashed and down. And the red flame had died away. Completely.

"It's over." Happosai muttered to himself over the explosion as he floated down to the ground.

"It's not over **yet**, Happosai!" Ranma shouted, running into his planned position. The old man turned his head to see the adult Saotome standing ready, hands clenched and driving towards the ground. "You forgot about me!"

"TENBA HIBASHIRA!" Ranma shouted as his hands impacted the ground.

Happosai felt the huge explosion of Ki smash into his back, snapping his arms and legs behind him as it rocketed him past the whole field, over the higher roof, and beyond the other side, out of sight, and out of consciousness.

- - -

Aki, for whatever reason had shot into her head at that moment, raced across the roof as the old man sailed over her head. She could clearly see the boy on the other side, on the edge in the darkness, resting on the gutter of the roof. If he moved even the tiniest amount, he would fall over the edge.

Racing down to get to him, the boy began to slide away from the girl. And then, fell from sight, down towards the ground.

"_No!_" She shouted, jumping **down **towards the ground, trying to catch up. "_Sauske!_" Her whole body shot down the few stories in an instant. She flipped as fast as possible, crunching down on the pavement, her legs bent and struggling to slow her descent. Her body shuddered under the stress of her body's impact, and the inertia of another.

After the moment of stress passed, the girl took a slow, deep breath, before laying her bundle onto the ground for a moment. Once he was flat on his back, she breathed back out, before glancing up at the sky.

"_It's over." _She thought to herself, before turning back to Sauske. She reached down, brushing some dust from the side of his face. _"It's all over. Happosai's done."_

Next Chapter: The battle may be over and done, but at the end of every fight, **someone **has to pick up the pieces.

* * *

And there you go, chapter 26. I've been waiting to do this chapter since the beginning of the story, and I've finally done it! This has got to be the longest chapter I've done so far, and I think the fight turned out well. But, please tell me if there's something I can do to make this chapter better, or anything. 

Anyway, on with the reviews:

Sleepingbear: Thanks for the nice review!

Eames: YAY! A new reviewer who likes my story!

Krizz: YAY! Another new reviewer who likes my story! I hope this chapter turned out at least as good as you were expecting.

Shinjiku: Whoa, calm down a second! I know you want it to be a AkixSauske story, and I know Keira has been a large focus of the story for the last few chapters, but Aki will be back in the story. Besides, the story isn't over yet. It's still possible for the couples to go all different ways. Right now, though,I think everyone's much more focusedon not getting smashed into the ground instead of falling in love. The romance half of this story is coming back in a little while, but not right now.

Kirizaki: Yay! Another new reviewer who likes my story! And another AkixSauske fan! AllI can say on that subject is that I'm going to try to make the story good no matter who ends up together.

Paige C: Well,I have a feelign that you already know if Keira got hurt or not, and who makes it there to fight and who doesn't. And yes, Sakura is pretty stubborn, but so is Ranma and Co. As for new attacks, I've put better descriptions of all the new techniques at the end of the chapter, if you wanted to know.

nonengel: Well, I don't know if I should reveal to you whether or not you're going to see someone's aura soon, sinceI hate giving away the story before it happens. But, since you've probably already read the chapter,I guess it doesn't matter whatI say. And yes, many of the children are pretty stubborn.

* * *

**Techniques:**

Endless Moko Takabishi: By forming a blast of Moko Takabishi, Ranma further extended the shot by not releasing the entire sphere at once. Instead, he places large amounts of pressure on the sides, causing the Ki to fire out in a straight stream of energy. It's main use is for moral defeat by inflicting increased amounts of pain, since it lasts several seconds, instead of severe amounts of damage. Sakura was working on learning this move, but has stopped since she started learning Kendo a few months ago, while Akane will be as soon as she masters the Moko Takabishi and Shi Shi Hodokan.

Tenba Hibashira: "The Geyser of the Rising Horse": Ranma's most powerful technique that he has created, power wise, where he forces Ki, through his hands and then the ground, to blast up underneath opponents. The amount of force is several times greater than the Moko Takabishi, on average, and as of right now, only Ranma knows this technique.

Saotome Fire Burst: A mix of the Happosai Fire Burst surrounded with a blast of Ki, causing at least twice the explosive power of the bomb itself. Only ever used once, against Happosai after he had brought Auska along on a training trip.

Tobihi Kaen: "Flying Spark Flames": Another form of the Moko Takabishi, where a ball of Ki is formed in one hand, and then crushed, forming millions of tiny blasts of Ki. The best description is that it is similar to a shotgun, where it fires very weak blasts, but it's sheer numbers that do the damage. It is not designed to cause injury or pain, like the Endless Moko Takabishi or the Tenba Hibashira, but instead to make an unavoidable attack when facing faster opponents. Since the attack can be swung and spread over a large area, it's used to stop someone moving too fast just long enough to attack them in hand to hand combat. Ranma has also taught Sakura this move, and Akane will learn it as well after she has master the Moko Takabishi and Shi Shi Hodokan


	27. Broken

Disclaimer : I do not own _Ranma 1/2_, nor claim to.

Chapter Twenty Seven: Broken:

"At first I see an open wound infected and disastrous. It breaths chaotic catastrophe, it cries to be renewed. Its tears are the color of anger, they dry to form a scab." Incubus: _New Skin_

* * *

"Are you sure?" the middle aged man asked. He and the girl were watching the boy, as he nodded again.

Raising his head back up, still kneeling on the floor, he looked on more confidently than before. "I am ready, father." His confidence was not total, but it looked as if he felt his words were true. "I'm ready to do this. I am not afraid."

* * *

Slowly, gently, silently, his eyelids began to flutter. They twitched and moved ever so slightly for several seconds, but they didn't open. Then, they paused, holding shut, before carefully opening, letting the eyes beneath focus on where he was looking. The first thing he saw was a ceiling; one he knew plenty well enough to know what it was. The weight of the sheet on his body and the semi-lumpy bed under his back confirmed it.

He was lying on his back in his uncle's clinic.

Moving a little more, he could feel several things out of place. One, he had no shirt. Two, there was a large amount of bandages wrapped around his chest. Three, his left arm was also bandaged, resting on his stomach in a sling. Four, there were bandages over his cheek and both hands, along with other small patches on his forearms and such. And five . . .

He felt like he could sleep for a week and still be tired.

"So, Sleeping Beauty decided to wake up?"

He turned to see Sakura sitting nearby, her right arm in a sling, and a splint tied under her ring and pinkie fingers. She also had several bandages on her face, but she was otherwise normal, still dressed in the martial arts gi she had left in. Glancing around, he also noticed that he was sealed of from everyone else in the back room by a cloth screen.

Slowly, he began to lean up. His mouth was dry and dusty, but he spoke anyway. "Uh . . . what time is it?"

"Whoa now, you lean back down!" Sakura said, hopping up out of the chair she had been sitting in, and pushing the boy back down. "Just rest, Sauske. It's about eleven thirty."

"In the morning?" the boy asked.

"No, it's still night." Sakura replied, smiling. "You've only been out for a few hours."

Sauske sighed, turning his head away. "I did it again, didn't I?"

Sakura sighed as well. "He's always got to do this to himself, doesn't he?" she thought to herself. Then, she began her reply. "Yeah, Sauske, you did. But that's not the point. The point is, you did it because you had to. It wasn't for something pointless; you had your reasons."

Sauske turned, "Yeah, whatever."

His sister scowled for a moment, before sighing. "Well, I got a surprise for you." Sakura said suddenly, which caused the boy to turn his head back to see him. "Some people wanted to talk to you. Let me go get them, m'kay?"

Sakura was already up and through the screen before Sauske could reply, so the boy chose to simply sit and wait. There was little noise outside. Suddenly, a loud argument picked up.

"YOU SAID YOU WOULD KEEP AN EYE ON THEM!" A female voice shouted.

"Hey, hey, calm down, Ucchan!" That was his father. "We didn't expect all that to happen!"

"No?! Well, how about the fact that **you** threw the bomb **into **Keira, Ranma!"

"It was an accident, I'm tellin' ya!"

"Do you think that matters?! What if . . ."

A new voice interrupted suddenly, which was also female. "Cookies, anyone?" Aunt Kasumi.

There was a sudden grab at the plate, followed by several "Thank you"s from a number of people, one being Kuonji-san. Everything was quiet after that.

Sauske sighed again. He had screwed up, he knew it. That aura was never supposed to come out again. And it did. How could he have let himself lose control again?! He was being stupid, that's what! He'd have to be careful, more than he had been before. If only he had been willing to say no back then, this would have never happened.

It was all his fault. He should have been more assertive . . . or determined.

He was a failure.

SHINK! The screen swung open, as Sakura ushered in two new people. "Well, Sauske, here you go! Hopefully this will cheer you up!"

"Sauske-kun!" Keira said jubilantly, hopping down in the chair next to the bed, smiling happily at the boy, and scooting right up next to him on his right side, where Sakura had been before. "How are you doing?" Aki shuffled in behind her, and Sakura closed the screen behind them, leaving the three to themselves.

"All right, I guess." Sauske said with a sigh in his voice, before forcing himself to lean up.

Keira scooted closer, before poking him playfully in the shoulder. "Aw, come on, Sauske-kun, cheer up! You didn't mean to, and if it's anyone's fault, it's mine! Heck, I should have been paying attention instead of rushing in at top speed!"

"No, Keira, I should have had more control. I can't use that."

"Why not?"

Sauske looked up at Aki. She stood, somewhat looming over him, at the foot of the bed, her arms crossed. She was looking at him curiously and slightly disgusted. "What?"

"Why can you . . . not use your aura? . . . It is very powerful . . . you would be a much better fighter . . . if you would use it." The Amazon replied flatly.

Keira glared at her, but it was Sauske who spoke. "I can't use it, Aki-san, because if I do, someone's going to get hurt!"

"People get hurt . . . in fights, Sauske."

"Not always!"

"Like who? . . . You? . . . Happosai was too strong . . . obviously you would get hurt . . . Stick-girl was hurt when you couldn't help her. . . the adults knew they would get hurt . . . the other boy was hurt . . . back at the house . . . and Fast-girl was hurt by her own idiocy . . . Where is it your fault?"

"I can't use it, Aki!" Sauske shouted from the bed, leaning up a bit. "No matter what, I can't use it!"

It didn't make sense. "Why not?" Aki replied, looking intently at him.

"Because I can't control it!" WHAM!

Keira, Aki, and Sauske all looked at the wall. Sauske gulped, before wrenching his hand free, releasing some dust and wood chips from his hand. The three of them stared at the small depression in the wall where Sauske had backhand-smashed it. There were footsteps up to the curtain, followed by the SHINK! as they slid open.

"Sauske," Ono said with a sigh, "enough fighting for one day." The man walked in, shooed the two girls out, before sliding the boy back down. "All right, just rest."

Sauske simply nodded, turning aside, the paleness in his face still there.

- - -

On the outside, Keira immediately grabbed Aki by the arm and started dragging her across the room. Ono slipped back through the curtains, and walked into the waiting room, where most of the adults and children were.

Aki suddenly stopped walking. "What are you doing, Fast-girl?"

"You're coming with me!" the girl barked.

Aki blinked, letting the girl continue to pull while she stayed put. "And if I don't . . . want to?"

"I'll make you go." Keira replied cold, stopping her feet, and simply standing facing away from the other girl.

Aki chuckled. "I don't think you . . ."

The girl was cut off by the sudden movement, as she swung her free arm up and around, grabbing for the thing shooting towards her face. Snatching it in her hand, she clenched her fingers around it, realizing that it was Keira's wrist. Then, she blinked.

Five centimeters from her neck, rolling around on the index finger of Keira, the only one extended on her hand, spun a single throwing star, rotating around slower and slower until it stopped.

"I said, you're coming with me. That wasn't an invitation." Keira said with cold eyes. "It was an order."

Aki glared down. "Why should I?"

"You want to know Sauske's aura? I'll tell you everything. But you're coming with me."

Aki glared down at her more, before swinging Keira's hand down, and freeing her own from her grasp. "Fine."

- - -

"Haku?" Auska said quietly, peering in. "Are you awake?"

"Yeah, I am." the boy muttered in the dark. "You can come in."

Auska slid the curtain open more letting in some light, before walking into the room. Sitting down at the chair, she heard the rustling of blankets as the boy sat up in bed. "Sorry to bother you." She said quieter, flicking on the lamp. The light brightened the small area, causing the boy to lurch back, rubbing his eyes, before shaking out his head, and looking at her.

"Oh, Auska." He said, realizing who it was. "Don't worry about it. Mom's taking us home soon anyways. I just wanted to rest a bit."

"Oh, okay. I . . . I just . . . I just wanted to say sorry."

Haku blinked. "For what?"

"I should have seen that the camera was loose. If I had, it wouldn't have hit you."

Haku blinked again. "What? What happened?"

Auska looked at him oddly, before speaking. "The camera you were working on fell down and hit you. That's what knocked you out. It was laying on the floor next to you."

Haku stared more, before turning to stare at the foot of his bed, thinking. "I thought something went around my neck? . . . maybe it was the camera cord . . . but I'm pretty sure I screwed that in right . . . right? . . . I don't know." he turned back to Auska. "Don't worry about it, Auska. If I didn't notice it, it's my own fault. I should have been paying attention."

"Well, it's just that . . ."

"Auska, don't worry about it." the boy said with a smile. "After all, I'm fine now, right?"

The girl paused, before looking up at him, smiling. "Yeah, you're right!"

- - -

There was a sudden crack of the fire, which was the first sound he heard as he woke up. The man leaned up a bit, groaning in pain and blinking several times to clear his vision. Glancing around, he was on the edge of the city, up on a hill and near a small forested area. Some of the buildings he recognized as Tokyo.

"You're awake. That's good." a voice said.

The old man looked up. "Where am I?"

"Outside Tokyo still. I found you laying on the ground in the downtown area. So, I brought you here."

- - -

"What happened to Happosai?" Akane asked finally.

Her husband glanced up, before turning away. "He's got away. When we went to where he landed, he was already gone." There was a sigh around the room. "But, we beat him up so bad, he should be out of commission for a while."

"Like most of us." Ukyo tacked on.

Ranma shrugged. "Hey, it could be worse."

Ukyo glared at him. "Sauske has two cracked ribs, a dislocated elbow, and lots of bruises. Sakura has a dislocated finger, a bruise on her chin, among other places. Keira got **blown off a roof** onto **asphalt**. Not to mention you four. How much worse does it need to be for it to be bad?"

Akane shook her head. "Doesn't matter. It happened; just let it go, Ukyo."

The chef glared at her, before Shampoo jumped in. "What old man after, anyway?"

Ranma looked up at her, before sighing and shaking his head. "Same as always. He was after new students. He was kind of lax about it though; he must've known we wouldn't let him. He was probably just planning on beating us up for a while, or something."

The rest of the room nodded, before silence began to spread. It was over. Happosai was defeated.

- - -

"Sit down." Keira commanded, shoving the Amazon into one of the two chairs in the back room office. The Amazon resisted, keeping herself up, before sitting down herself, glaring at Keira. The ninja then took the other seat very carefully, grimacing at the pain in her back as she leaned into the seat.

The brown haired girl paused for a minute, before looking up, a bit calmer. "Promise me that you won't bring up Sauske's aura anymore, and you won't try to force it out."

"What?" Aki asked, surprised at the other girl's sudden calmness.

"Promise me you won't try to force out Sauske's aura anymore!"

"All right."

"Say it!"

Aki blinked, before nodding. "I promise to not force out Sauske's aura anymore."

Keira nodded too, satisfied, before sighing and leaning her head down. "I take it you want to know what the aura is, don't you?"

Aki nodded. "Yes, I do."

"Well, if it's to learn how to do it, or if you can, I'll tell you straight out you can't. It's not a technique that can be passed on." Keira paused, before looking up. "Do you still want to know?'

Aki blinked, but nodded anyway. "Yes, whatever it is, . . . I want to know what it is."

Keira stared at her a moment, before nodding to herself. "Have you ever heard of a 'primal' technique?"

Aki gulped immediately, her face paling and a visible increase in sweat coming up. Her thoughts sprang to life. "_He knows a primal?! That's . . . that's crazy! How could he . . ._" The girl steadied her thoughts, before speaking. "Yes, I know about primals."

(Primal: A form of techniques that are the basis for several other popular techniques. They are rarely learned, since almost all come about intuitively to the user. Some can be, usually through rigorous training or assistance elements like moxibustion or calligraphy marks. More at the end of the chapter.)

Keira nodded. "That's what his aura is. If you look on his chest, right here," she pointed to a single spot on her body, in the center, where the ribs rise and meet each other, "you'll see a black mark. If you look closely, you'll see it's a kanji. 'Akuma'. Do you know what that means?"

Aki shook her head, although the word sounded familiar.

"It means 'demon'." Keira said slowly. "It's the mark signifying he has the Demon aura, an aura of pure rage, in place of his own. Sakura has one too, except it says 'Mitsukai', or Angel. Her aura is of pure determination. And, Saotome-san . . . has both."

Aki blinked. She remembered what Akuma was now, when it was next to Mitsukai. The Angel and the Demon, the original aura primal. And the most potent. She had only heard of it, let alone understand it. And Sauske, Sakura, and Ranma had it?! "How . . . did they get them?"

Keira sighed again. "It was back when they went on a training trip together. The three of them. It was about a year after Happosai left, and near the end of the trip, that Saotome-san heard a rumor about an old monk who knew how to teach the primal. After checking it out, and finding out it was true, the three went to learn from him.

"The old man agreed to teach the three of them, after they spent two days rebuilding the temple. But he gave them a warning. While Saotome-san, being an adult and . . . had special circumstances already, would inherit both auras, both Sauske and Sakura would only get one, and would only be able to use one.

"He warned them that, if they were not totally devoted and determined to fight with their power, and ready to face oncoming struggles when they arrived, they must not take it, for fear of only inheriting the Demon aura. Sakura was unafraid, and so she immediately agreed. Sauske was reluctant for a moment, before, realizing he was the odd man out, gave in and went ahead with the ritual anyway."

"And Sauske . . . wasn't ready?" Aki asked.

Keira shook her head. "No. Back then, we just thought of him as being nice, trying not to hurt others. We didn't know it was also disgust with the idea of harming someone. And that was enough to keep him from inheriting the Angel. They spent the next two weeks trying to build him up so he could draw out a blue aura, hopefully the Angel aura, but they couldn't.

"Since then, he's been trying to keep the aura from ever coming out. Sakura can use her aura safely, and can control it easily, since it's designed that way. But rage is hard for Sauske to deal with, so he's locked it inside, for better or worse."

Keira paused, and so Aki spoke up. "Is it really that bad?"

The ninja nodded. "It is. The primal aura has three major parts. One, it locks attention on a single thing. That thing, their opponent, becomes their whole life. Nothing can really break their attention from it, and they fight through anything: pain is worthless. If the aura is strong enough, they could be dismembered and still keep fighting. Their will is . . . undeniable.

"The only way to really break them out of that concentration is either letting them get tired, which is pretty easy, since it takes a lot of strength to keep the aura up, or get in their way. And getting in their way is the worst idea, because if it doesn't snap them out of it right then, they'll attack you first, then go back to whoever they were fighting before without even thinking. As they get tired, it gets easier, and if they aren't really, really, mad or concentrated, it's possible to break them out eventually."

Aki nodded. "I overheard . . . that you and Sakura did."

"Really?" Keira asked. "Overheard from who?"

"Sakura and Ranma . . . were shouting about it . . . after you fell."

"Oh." Keira muttered, before nodding. "Yeah, we did, once. Sakura has a few times, though, although I only helped stop him once. It was the first time I saw his aura, so I didn't understand it yet . . ." She paused, thinking, before sighing. "But, anyway, the second thing is the emotion. When the aura comes out, certain emotions get driven into the mind very tightly. The Demon aura forces in rage, fear, or hatred, while the Angel forces in determination and focus. Just like their ordinary auras.

"Third, . . . the aura takes over totally. Depending on how strong the emotions are going in, the stronger the aura comes out. For Sakura and the Angel aura, since it focuses on determination, there's no real problem with her fighting because of it. She doesn't act any different than before; just really, really focused. No matter how strong the aura is, she's still in control.

"But, Sauske and the . . . aura, they change him. He loses all control. Rage just makes rage. And his fighting . . . it's brutal. He'll do anything to kill his opponent. If they aren't strong enough . . . if he can get through . . . Sauske can't stop himself like Sakura can. He won't stop if he's beating on someone who can't take it.

The ninja let her head drop. "That's why he's so afraid of his aura."

Aki nodded solemnly. "I see."

Keira nodded. "And the angrier he gets, the worse it gets. More rage, more aura . . . Sure, as it gets bigger, there's more stress on him, and he can only hold it out so long, but even at how strong I heard it was at, Sauske can go for several minutes. That's at huge levels of strength, too. He's a lot stronger and faster than he acts, but even that's rare to see. With the aura out, he doesn't hold back anything. He believes he just can't let his strength come out . . . It . . . scares him."

There was a quiet pause as the last of Keira's words died out. Neither girl said anything, content to stare at the floor.

Aki gently stood up, silently moving, before walking to the door.

"Don't forget. You promised." Keira said loudly. The Amazon turned to see the ninja glaring up at her.

Aki nodded. "I won't forget." And then, she disappeared out the door.

Keira watched her go. There was a strong feeling of trust in that Amazon. She knew the girl would keep her word. After what Keira had heard about the fight, it would be hard to deny what she had told her after school that day, over two weeks ago.

Didn't mean she liked Aki.

But she trusted her.

- - -

"And that's what the aura is." Sakura said finally, staring over at her old friend.

Kite sat, thinking for a moment, before shaking his head. "That's insane. I know Sauske was strong, but this . . . it's just crazy. I don't know if I'll have the guts to fight him for a while . . . but hey, we'll just have to see. At least I know how strong he's going to get!" He finished with a cocky smile.

"He wasn't at top levels." Sakura responded immediately, which was met by a shocked glance from Kite.

"You're kidding."

The girl shook her head. "Nope, he can get more aura out."

"No way."

"Yes way. I've seen it."

"He get's stronger?!"

"Stronger, and even more . . . brutal. And the control he dies off the stronger he gets."

"How strong can he go?"

Sakura paused, thinking. She sighed suddenly, though, before shaking her head. "I don't know. But he's done more."

Kite had nothing to say in reply, just sitting and thinking about that "human inferno" being even stronger. Sauske had smashed tiles **around** his hand that he hadn't even touched! How could he do more?!

- - -

"_Chii, what do you think?"_ Tenchuu asked, as they cleaned up the house, since the two of them had gone home right after the battle was won.

Chii glanced up at his brother. _"It's the most amazing aura I've ever seen. I don't know how he did it, but if I get another shot at seeing it, I'll probably figure it out."_ He smiled. _"It's what I do best, after all."_

Tenchuu nodded. _"True. But I'm worried . . ."_

"_About Aki, I know." _Chii finished. _"You can trust her, you know. She does know how to protect herself. All of us do. And from what I heard, . . . Sauske . . . I think that's it, right?_"

"_Yes, that's it."_

Chii nodded. _"Yeah, she said he was pretty well in control of it, since he had almost used it on her. I don't think it'll be something to worry about."_

Tenchuu didn't nod, frown, smile, or shake his head. _"We'll see."_

- - -

"_Are you sure?"_

Aki nodded. "_He did. I saw it. The attack wasn't clean, and it came back together quite quickly, but he tore Happosai's aura in half with his bare hands! There's no way he would know how to do that!_ _I've only ever seen you do it. Nobody else could see enough of the other aura to get the tips, but he did, somehow!"_

The person with Aki said nothing, content to think for a moment.

"_Do you have any idea what might have let him do that?"_

The other girl continued to stand and think, before inspiration struck. Moving as fast as she could, she gave her idea words. "_He used his aura! Like a big waterfall!"_ Squeaky-Squeaky! "_When the attack came, he saw it pass through his aura, and then followed the displacement, and caught it!"_ Squeaky-Squeaky! _"Chi must have been flowing through his body already!_"

Aki nodded. _"That's a good idea. Better than what I though." _The Amazon paused a moment. "_I'll watch him, but I doubt he'll be able to do that again. He needs his opponent to throw his aura at him, unlike you._"

Pai nodded as well.

- - -

"So, we're outside Tokyo." The old man replied. "How did we do otherwise?"

The figure, cloaked and concealed, darkness covering the face, simply raised both hands, holding three scrolls in the left hand, and two in the right, along with a book between the fingers of the right hand. "I got everything."

"What's the book for?"

"It is Saotome Genma's, and I thought we might be able to get some insight with it for my. . . problem. Along with his notes."

"Ah, I understand."

The figure nodded, before lowering the scrolls to the ground, along with the book. "I didn't get through cleanly, though; I had to knock out one of them. They had put up cameras. Don't worry, I'm not on tape, and I cleaned up everything else."

"How long do you think it will take?"

The figure paused, glancing at the scrolls before looking back up. "A few months, probably, to learn it all. Ranma's scrolls have a few techniques on each. It will definitely take some time. But I'll do it. I'll learn it all. I swear."

The old man, no longer even worried about his defeat inside the city bounds that night, even through the pain he was feeling, nodded happily. Everything was almost totally perfect. He wanted another heir, to finally declare . . . it wasn't important. This came first. "I believe you." Happosai said confidently.

"I won't fail you," the figure replied, "Master!"

Next Chapter: After a day to recover, it's Monday again; back to school, everybody, even if some people don't trust you!

* * *

Well, that's chapter 27. It's come out well, I think, but I'm sorry it's coming out so late. Which is something that's really important for me to go over. Since school vacation is starting next week, and I'm going on a trip, I can't be certain that I will have the time or the tools to post a new chapter of this story for a little while. I probably won't put up a new chapter until either the weekend of the 9th or the 16th of January, 2005. But, by then, it should be smooth sailing for a while, since college applications will be done. Also, my other stories should be starting back up around then too.

That's what's going to happen to this story. I am by no means stopping the story here, if you were wondering; there's too much to do, so, until I see you all next time, happy new year!

Now, on with the reviews:

nonengel: Good,I thought the fight turned out well. But, by close to what youexpected, does that mean you want bigger fights, or was that too over the top?

Battousai: YAY! Another reviewer who likes my story!

Paige C: Hey, Keira isn't gone. She just got blown off a roof by a giant explosive device. I am glad the fight went well. I had been waiting to do that chapter sinceI started writing this story, and it sounds like it turned out well. As for Happosai being beaten so easily, don't forget the whole fight. First, he beat Sakura, then he fought and defeated Ryoga, Mousse, seven Konatsu's, half beat up Ranma, and then fought Sauske. That's a lot of fighting, even for Ranma. But it did end abruptly. As for what happened to Haku,I hope you can figure it out now.

Shinjiku: Well, good news. Aki's back in the story now, and she'll be playing a big role in the story again for a long time now. But so will everyone else. As for the relationships, well . . . I just can't say anyhting.

* * *

**Primal: **A form of technique which is not created nor learned in its original use. This category of techniques consists of any ability which is created through intense circumstances in the original user. For example, the Demon aura was first used when a warrior in Japan saw the destruction of his entire town, and was enraged to the point of creating it in a quest for revenge.

What primals are best known for is their incredible power. The techniques are often far more potent that those of any other type of technique. However, there is a serious downside, as almost every primal has some negative effect. For example, the Demon aura costs the user his control and civility, making him a berserked fighter without any ability to change their current mindset. Also, it is much easier for the person to become angered at others without warning. Other primals often require severe emotional states, most involving extreme cases of depression and/or rage, although other emotions are possible (as in the Angel aura).

More importantly, however, is that most primals are often the basis of other techniques. By reducing their power greatly, and reducing the penalties of use, or altering the style of the primal has created some of the most important techniques known. For example, the Aura burst used by Aki is based off the Angel aura, and the Shi Shi Hodokan is also formed from another primal.

In recent times, most primals are simply legends, and no new primals have been found. Due to the current structures of society, it is rare for events to conspire to the point that the emotional levels are proper to form an old primal. Most are inherited through some other form of physical and mental therapy, such as moxibustion, martial arts calligraphy, etc. However, it is rare to see anyone who actually knows a primal, since even through techniques like martial arts calligraphy and such, the problematic elements of the primals still effect those who use them. As such, they have all but fallen out of favor.


	28. Love and Lunchtime

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma 1/2_, nor claim to.

Chapter Twenty Eight: Love and Lunchtime:

"It's the perfect time of year somewhere far away from here. I feel fine enough, I guess, considering everything's a mess. There's a restaurant down the street, where hungry people like to eat. I could walk, but I'll just drive. It's colder than it looks outside." Barenaked Ladies: _Pinch Me_

Sauske groggily sat at the table. Even if it was Monday, which meant school, and he was in much better shape than Saturday night after Happosai knocked him around, which meant he could go, he really didn't feel up to anything today. He would, of course, but his body was still sore. Hopefully, it would loosen up after a brisk walk to school. He had no plans on running today.

Which meant getting up early.

Which is why he felt so tired right now, sitting there at the table with his parents and younger sister, silently eating his breakfast and avoiding spilling any on his school uniform. He sighed, brushing his black hair with his fingers, messing it up a little more, before sighing again. Glancing aside, he saw Amy and Joseph walk into the room, also in their school uniforms, before sitting down at the table to eat. The three youngest children began talking, but the boy ignored it. He was still just sitting struggling to stay awake. He hated early mornings.

"Well, I better get going." Sauske said after a minute, finishing off his rice and fish, before placing the bowl on the table.

"Why are you going so early?" Joseph asked, glancing up at him.

Sauske glanced back, shrugging his shoulders and replying with "I'm taking my time today, Joseph. So I'm going to school early today."

The boy nodded as Sauske turned and walked, a slightly stiff limp in his step, before Akane called out, "Have a good day, Sauske!"

"Okay, Mom!" Sauske shouted as he disappeared around the corner, slid into his shoes and his jacket he pulled off the wall, snatched his bag from the floor with a painful lean down, and walked up to the door.

KNOCK KNOCK!

Sauske stopped, staring at the door. "Uh, I got it." he muttered, sliding the door open. "Hello?"

"Oh, Sauske-kun!" Keira said loudly, surprised he answered the door. "Uh, um, how are you?"

"I'm fine, Keira. How are you?"

"Good, thanks for asking." She replied, a nervous expression on her face.

Sauske paused, waiting for her to say something more. Eventually, he spoke. "So, . . . why are you here right now, Keira?"

"Huh?" the girl replied dumbly, before shaking out her head, and brushing her uniform straight. "Oh, right, I came by to see if you were going to school today."

"Well, I am. I'm leaving right now, as a matter of fact."

"Oh, really? Oh, um, well, then . . . uh, mind if I go with you?" the girl replied, stepping aside to let the boy walk out.

"Certainly." The boy replied with a smile, shutting the door. "It'd be better to walk with someone than all alone, right?"

"Yeah." the girl replied, smiling even though she cringed at the word "walk". The brisk pace, however, made it much better from Keira's view, and Sauske wouldn't allow himself to do any less. He needed this exercise, after laying in bed all day yesterday. "So, how are you feeling today?"

"All right, I guess. My arms still a little stiff, and my chest hurts a lot. But otherwise, I'm okay." he paused for a moment, glancing around as they dashed across a street, before slowing slightly to reach their walking pace. "What about you?"

"I've felt worse. The only thing that still really hurts is my back. Other than that, I feel fine." She sighed, readjusting her bag on her shoulder. "Well, at least we won in the end, right?"

Sauske blinked, walking silently. He stared at the ground for a moment, remembering everything that he could. Once he gave Keira to Naruto, most everything was just a blur. A couple of scenes stood out, although he didn't really want to remember those scenes right now. The aura had come out. He would have to be careful for a long time if he ever wanted to hold it in as long as he did last time.

Keira glanced over at him. Suddenly, she realized what he must be thinking about. It wasn't like it would be too difficult to figure out. She sighed, letting her head fall forward a bit. "Sorry, Sauske-kun. I didn't mean that. I'm . . ."

"What?" Sauske interrupted her suddenly. The girl looked up to see his smiling face. "You're right, we did win. Sure, I messed up, but we won."

Keira stared at him for a moment, before nodding, smiling as well.

The boy gave a little nod at her smile, before turning his face to the sidewalk. He had to be careful from now on. He really had messed up, and he had to contain that mistake. For his friend Keira, for his sister Sakura and Auska, for Joseph and Amy, and his parents, and Aki, he'd have to get better with his control.

He would never let that aura out again.

- - -

"He . . . he said he missed the bus?! Ha! That's hilarious!" Keira half-shouted, before continuing to laugh at the horrible excuse Hojo used only a few weeks ago.

"He's used it before." Sauske added as they approached the school.

"He's used it before?!" Keira said, looking up at her friend with wide eyes. Sauske nodded. She stood still, staring at him in disbelief, before she broke down laughing again, forcing herself to keep walking as they passed through the school gates.

"Sauske!" a voice said from inside the schoolyard.

It wasn't the fact that his name was called that got their attention, but the seriousness of which it was stated. Ice cold. The boy looked to the source immediately, the girl following his action only a moment later, after she stifled her laughter in an instant. "Who's there?" the Kuonji asked.

"I talk, you listen, Sauske." the voice replied, stepping forward two steps to stand in front of the Saotome, looming over him.

"Tenchuu-san?" Sauske replied, cautiously staring up at Aki's older brother. "What is it?"

"Friday, when school done, you go to game field behind building." Tenchuu replied with a stone cold glare through his glasses. "I meet you there. Understand?"

Sauske stared back, blinking a few times. "Uh . . . sure." He muttered quietly.

Tenchuu just nodded, before turning and walking into the school, wearing his specially made school uniform, with extra long, and very loose, sleeves, the bottom shortened to appear tucked in while it hung over the plain black pants. A moment later, he was gone, the door slowly closing itself behind him.

"What was that for?" Keira asked, looking around. "Who makes challenges like that?"

"I don't know, Keira."

The girl glanced over at him. "Are you going to be better by Friday? After all, Dr. Tofu said you had two broken ribs."

"Cracked, not broken." Sauske corrected. "And yeah, I'll be fine. I just have to stay out of fights for a few days."

Keira nodded knowingly. "I'll talk to Naruto."

"Thanks." Sauske said, smiling. "Now, come on, it's cold out here."

- - -

It was break time in class. Lunch would be in a few periods, but now it was time to relax a little. So, Chii was confident to simply slouch down in his chair and not worry about things for a minute, simply observing the people around him a little. The room was quite packed, and with his location at the back of the desks it was easy to see everyone.

Next to him, Aki sat reading and ignoring the rest of the room.

One seat in front and one to the side, Sauske sat, alternating between glancing at some book and up at his friends he ate lunch with.

On the side of the room were two of the people Sauske sat with at lunch. One was a girl with black hair and glasses, and the other was a boy with short brown hair. They were talking, the boy saying much more than the girl, the girl looking between him and wistfully at Sauske, as if she wanted him to come to her rescue. Eventually, she apparently heard something she didn't like, turned angrily to the boy, snatched a book off her desk, and slammed it on his hand, shouting "PERVERT!"

The boy howled in pain, pulling back and blowing on his hand to dull his injury, before he was suddenly better, and took a step back from the girl, massaging the back of his left hand. But it did get Sauske's attention, as the boy rose and walked over to see what was going on.

Keira was in the room, off on the other side talking to her own friends, looking up to see what was going on. After seeing it was Sauske and his friends, she sighed, and turned back to her own group.

Up at the front of the room was a small congregation of girls, three to be exact, only one of which stood out. She had long, blond hair, a beautiful frame, and the ability to turn away the second he looked at her. It had taken a week to figure out she was almost always looking at him whenever he wasn't. He had a good idea why, but it was not something he wanted to get into right now. Love was not what he was looking for.

Then again, she was quite beautiful. Nobody could really say anything against that. He certainly wasn't about to. And while beautiful girls were not necessarily hard to find, finding one that had interest in him was. And . . . no, she wouldn't really be interested in him. Let's not forget Amazon law. He had a code to live up to, and he really doubted that she would want to try to go through that just for him. Heck, even if she practiced really hard, she probably wouldn't make it through the initial challenge needed for a female to become an Amazon.

Whoa. Was he really thinking that? About her being an Amazon. After all, getting to that point would already mean marriage. And while that was not something he was opposed to in the least, when he reached that point, it was highly unlikely that she was either ready for that point or that a pair of people who don't even know each other would start working towards that goal. This wasn't real love yet. It was just ordinary attraction.

There was a squeak of a chair sliding as Sauske sat back down, returning to his book. The girl in glasses and the boy she was talking to were apparently on civil terms again, the boy no longer nursing his hand either. Keira was still talking with her friends.

But it was Sauske that had Chii's attention now. He was the one he had something important to "talk" about, some might say. And, it was obvious today would be that day. There would be no hesitation once school ended. Except for, of course, the hesitations he had promised himself to follow two months ago. Those weren't about to change. But it didn't matter.

What he could do would be enough.

- - -

The sun was out at lunch, giving a warm glow to the schoolyard. Unfortunately, the cold breeze was starting to be a problem. And yet, nobody wanted to surrender the outside to winter and eat in school. Besides, today was a bit warmer than yesterday, so everyone thought it might just be okay for **one **more day.

And so, Ganko, Sauske, Mayu, and Hojo were now all sitting at the base of the same tree they always sat at, all pulling out their homemade lunches as they began talking. Except for the weather, the day seemed perfectly normal.

"Sauske, are you feeling any better today?" Ganko asked, looking up at the boy.

"Better?" Hojo asked, looking at the black haired girl. "What happened?"

"Well, I got, um, beat up in a fight." Sauske replied sheepishly.

The Saotome boy was already acting quiet; seeing the stunned and shocked faces on Mayu and Hojo's face just made it worse.

"Yeah, you did." Ganko replied. "But that's just half the story. It was Happosai who did it."

"Happosai?!" Mayu asked. "Is that the old, pervert guy you were talking about a while ago?!"

Sauske nodded. "Um, yes. I was fighting him, and . . . I lost. But I am feeling better."

"Well, that's good." Ganko replied. "How's your arm?"

"Better too." Sauske muttered, opening up his bento box, starting to eat.

The girl nodded. "Uh, Ganko?" She turned to Hojo. "How do you know about the fight? Were you there?"

She blinked, before sliding her glasses higher on her nose, shaking her head as she did so. "No, I just went to visit Sauske yesterday at Dr. Tofu's. My parents heard about the fight, so I went by. Is that so surprising?"

Hojo shook his head. "Nah, it's not that. I just didn't know how you found out, is all. Unless there's some 'ulterior motive' you haven't told us about."

Ganko glared at him, Mayu watching the scene unfold, and Sauske slowly eating. Hojo was about to get his comeuppance when a new sound broke attention.

SHWUNK!

Sauske stared up from his food, seeing another box being shoved at him, held about half a meter from his face, floating there. A single arm held it, and tracing it up, he saw the body the arm was attached to. She didn't look too happy to be there, but she was.

"Uh . . . Aki? What are you doing here?" the boy asked carefully. "And what's in the box?"

The girl, taking a deep breath, shook the box a little to try to get him to take it. "It's . . . it's . . . lunch, for you, with herbs . . . Chinese herbs, to help heal bones . . . You don't have to eat it . . . but here it is."

His friends staring at him, Sauske gently reached up, taking the box from the girl while placing his own lunch on the ground. "Uh, thanks." There was a quiet pause. "But why?"

"Why?" Aki replied with a slightly scornful voice. "Because . . . I want to make sure you heal . . . after all, you are . . . still my 'future-husband' . . . even if I don't like it." She finished by crossing her arms over her chest and turning her head away.

When she glanced back, she noticed eight dinner plate sized eyes staring up at her. There was a long, silent pause as the four sitting teens stayed staring at her. "What is it?"

Mayu, placing her lunch on the ground, reached over and wrenched the box Aki had handed to Sauske free from the boy's hand, placing it on the ground too. She glanced over quickly at Hojo, who nodded. She then turned back to Aki. "Could you . . . excuse us for a second?"

Aki tilted her head, looking at them, confused. After a moment, she nodded.

Mayu smiled. "Thanks."

WHOOSH!

Aki blinked, stepping back in surprise to keep her balance. Staring at the ground, all four teens were gone.

- - -

WHAM!

About twenty meters away, Sauske was slammed into a chain link fence by Mayu and Hojo. His back pressed against the fence, he stared up at his friends. "That hurt!" he muttered with giant, crying, puppy dog eyes.

"Sauske! What the hell was she talking about?!" Mayu shouted.

"What do you mean?"

"She called you her 'future-husband'!" Hojo shouted. "Are you really hitched?! Really and truly?!"

"Um . . . yes?" the trapped boy replied sheepishly.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Ganko asked, a lot calmer, standing back a few feet, watching him carefully.

Sauske glanced at his arms, which were pinned against the fence by Mayu and Hojo. "Because I didn't want this to happen!"

"When was it?!" Hojo shouted again, still shocked by the event.

"Ah . . . about a month ago. Maybe longer." Sauske replied, starting to struggle with his right arm.

Mayu was also calming, but not much. "What happened to Keira?!" She shouted. "Did you just abandon her?!"

"What do you mean "abandon her'?!" Sauske shouted back, wrenching his right arm free. He began pulling at his left arm, but stopped from the pain it brought. "We're friends! If you had listened to me over the past month, you'd know that!"

"Do you love her?" Ganko asked, still in the unusually cold voice.

"What?" Sauske asked, clawing at Hojo's arm with his right hand, trying to free his left one. "Who?"

Ganko paused, before rephrasing what she had said. "Do you love Aki?"

Sauske shook his head. "No, it's not like that. We didn't choose to get married, it just happened. Because she has this special set of Chinese laws to follow, since she's an Amazon, anyone guy who beats her in a fight has to marry her."

There was a whole new set of surprise looks from the three of them. "Wait, . . . what?" Mayu asked.

"Are you saying that when you fight her and win, she has to marry you?" Hojo asked too.

Sauske nodded. "Yeah. She's from a Chinese village of the Amazons, and that's the law there. I . . . uh, didn't know that until after."

"That didn't answer my question, though, Sauske." Ganko replied, still quite calm. "Do you love her?"

There was a pause. Sauske sighed. "No, I don't, okay?! She's a friend, nothing more. It's just the way things worked out."

"So you don't love her?" Ganko replied.

"No, I don't."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am. I don't ha. . ."

"Sauske!" Aki commanded, causing all four friends to jump. "Just don't forget . . . to eat that food . . . You cannot get hurt . . . any more than you are."

"Uh, uh . . ." Sauske sputtered, his brain working overtime to figure out how to follow that up after what he had just said about her. Glancing at her face, she didn't seem angry or upset. Probably a good thing, right? "Oh, um, . . . okay, Aki. Thanks."

The Amazon nodded, then turned to leave the boy to explain everything to his friends. _"Now I know how he feels." _she mused to herself in her head, before smiling. _"I'm glad we feel the same way. He can hate me if he wants, or call me a friend, or whatever." _A single stone accidentally was kicked to the side. _"But he better not get used to the idea of us falling in love, or something like that."_

- - -

"What was that about?" Kagome asked, glancing back at her friends.

Chidori nodded. "Sheesh, it must have been big for them to drag Sauske to the fence at the back of the schoolyard."

Keira sighed, not saying anything, content to continue eating in silence.

"Keira?" Chidori asked, noticing her friend's downcast appearance. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing." was her snap reply.

"Really?" Kagome asked in a sarcastic voice.

"Yes, it's nothing."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with that girl Aki spending time with Sauske, now would it?"

Keira mentally kicked herself. Kagome was just too damn perceptive. Then again, it was kind of obvious. She'd have to play it cool. "No, it's not that."

"Phh! Yeah, right!" Chidori snapped. "It's so that! Don't even pretend that you don't care about it!"

"Fine! That's what it is, okay?!" Keira shouted, before making her voice quieter. So, there goes the idea of playing it cool. So, quiet would have to be the minimum.

Kagome paused, looking back to see Aki walking away, quite cheerfully, back to a few people whom she began to eat lunch with recently. "What did she do? Go out with Sauske on a date?"

"I wish it was that." Keira replied without thinking.

Chidori turned back. "What could be worse than that?"

Keira turned, and said nothing.

"You . . . you don't mean?!" Chidori surmised, staring at Keira and blushing.

"What?" the ninja asked quietly.

Letting her friend lean in and whisper into her ear, Keira paused, listening. As soon as she understood Chidori's thinking, her eyes widened and her face turned red. "No! Nothing like that! Absolutely **not** that!"

"Are you sure they haven't done it?!" Chidori asked.

"NO!" Keira screamed, before that idea fully entered her mind. "I . . . no, he wouldn't have! No chance to . . . GAAH! Don't think like that, Chidori!"

"Then what was it?" Kagome asked, her voice still calm.

Keira opened her mouth to respond, before letting her head drop, thinking. "What is it, Keira?" Chidori asked, calming back down. The ninja paused, still working the idea in her mind, thinking how to best express it.

"They . . . they're engaged."

"WHAT?!" the other two girls shouted.

"They're engaged to be married." Keira replied monotonously.

"I get that!" Chidroi shouted. "When did they get engaged?!"

"About a month ago, or . . . sometime around then."

"Why?!" Kagome shouted as well.

Keira blinked. Kagome was . . . shouting? That was certainly unusual. "Apparently, Aki is a Chinese Amazon, and since she and Sauske had a fight, and Sauske won, she has to marry him. Some village law they have."

"WHAT?!" Chidori shouted louder. "That's . . . that's crazy! How come Sauske is going along with it?!"

"She . . . he . . . it's for the best, or something." Keira replied, staring down at what was left of her lunch. "He's just letting it go because Aki has to marry him to keep her honor as an Amazon. Apparently, they're totally against getting married, and . . . I don't think either of them feel that way about each other."

Chidori shook her head. "But they've been spending so much time together over the last two weeks. I heard they met every night!"

"I was with him all that time too!" Keira replied, the final words almost bursting out of her mouth. "I was there too! It wasn't like some romantic thing; we were trying to find a really powerful martial artist in Tokyo. That's all. They barely even spent any time together during it anyway." Her voice perked up a little. "From what I saw, they were avoiding each other the whole time."

"Are you sure?" Kagmoe asked, calmer.

"Yes! Of course I'm sure!"

Kagome paused, before glancing over her shoulder at the group of four: Hojo, Ganko, Mayu, and Sauske. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Sauske . . . he . . . I know he didn't want people to know about it." keira muttered. "So, I didn't tell anyone."

There was a short period of silence.

"Well, I guess **I** can't surprise anyone today." Chidori muttered quietly.

The other two girls looked at her questioningly. "What are you talking about, Chidori?" Keira asked, confused.

"You don't remember?" the girl asked. Her friends shook their heads. "Today was the day they announced the new members of the Rhythmic Gymnastics team." Both girls eyes widened. "I checked the list before lunch."

There was a long pause.

"And?!" Keira asked, her voice showing her strain in waiting for the answer.

Chidori sighed, shaking her head. "I made it."

Then, she turned her head up, smiling.

"HOORAY!" Kagome and Keira cheered, beaming at their friend. Kagome then continued. "All those gymnastics lessons finally get a use, I see."

"Sure do!" Chidori shouted ecstatically. "The martial arts part is a bit of a challenge, but I'm a hyperactive tomboy to the core! It shouldn't be too tough!"

The three of them burst out laughing.

After a minute, Keira asked the important question. "So, when's the first meet?"

"Wednesday."

"Wednesday?! Why is it so early?!"

"Well, . . . it's not a real meet. We're having a practice match with the team from St. Bacchu's School for Girls to get ready for the rest of the year. Practice starts today."

"Well, that's good. Think you'll be ready?"

"Of course I will!" Chidori said confidently. "That is, if you two are there Wednesday . . . You're going to be there, right?" Kagome and Keira turned and looked at each other with blank faces. "Right?!"

"Well," Kagome began, "I sort of need to . . . brush my hair that day . . . Aw, you know we wouldn't miss it!"

"Yeah, we'll be there!" Keira added enthusiastically. "And if you need any help, I'm here."

"Well, actually . . . I might not need it." Chidori replied, smirking. "Somebody already agreed to help me."

"Who did you get?" Keira asked immediately.

"Sauske?" Kagome replied seductively, before turning to Keira and laughing at her glaring face. "I'm just kidding!"

"Well . . ." The first girl began, blushing a little. "It's . . . Yoh."

"Yoh?!" Keira asked, surprised. "**He's **going to help you?!"

Chidori nodded slowly, blushing more. Kagome smiled. "Well, well, well. That's quite convenient, isn't it?"

"Did you know the dojo he practices at, where he's training me," Chidori began in a smooth voice, the blush holding steady, "is only three blocks away from our favorite ice cream place?"

Keira's eyes widened. "Now **that's **convenient!" Then, they all burst out laughing.

- - -

"So, how's he doing?" Akemi asked, turning to the kendoist.

"Better. My uncle says he should be healthy in a week or two." Sakura replied.

Hinata nodded. "Well, that's good news."

"So, he's not as bad as that big fight three years ago?"

Everyone turned to the fourth girl. "What are you talking about, Chise?" Sakura asked.

"That fight, three years ago. The one where you got your arm cut." Chise replied. "Wasn't he sick for a month, or something like that, after it happened?"

There was a pause in the group. "Yeah, that's right. You were back in two days, but your brother was out for a while. A few weeks at least. What happened back then, anyway?" Akemi asked, as the attention shifted immediately from Chise back to Sakura.

Sakura paused, thinking about what to say. "Well, he was . . . hurt . . . a lot worse than this time. Yeah, . . . he got beat up really badly. So, my uncle made him stay home then." She said quickly, hoping the issue died. "He had a lot of trouble catching up in his school work."

"Really? Must've been tough, missing a lot of school." Hinata replied.

"Oh yeah. His friend Ganko and I had to work with him for weeks to get him caught back up."

"Ganko." Akemi muttered to herself, before the memory clicked in her head. "Right! That girl with the glasses!" Sakura nodded. "I remember her . . . oh well, I guess it's better that he comes back quicker than, instead of resting again and getting piles of work to make up."

"Yeah." Sakura replied, calm now that the issue was gone. "He's fine."

- - -

DING-DONG!

"All right!" Chidori shouted immediately. "School's out!"

Despite a dull stare from the teacher, the class began to walk out, Chidori leading the group as she packed up and disappeared out the doorway in a second. "Aki, could you please come up here for a moment." the teacher announced loudly, trying to be heard over the noise of the class.

There were a few glances; Keira and Sauske at Aki, Aki at the teacher, and Chii at his sister and Sauske. After a moment, though, Aki unhesitatingly turned towards the desk, slowly and confidently walking up. Chii watched her for a moment, before sighing, realizing it wasn't his business, and gathered his things, leaving the room in a hurry.

Sauske lingered a little, putting away his things slower than normal, which Keira noticed and followed. After a moment, though, everything was packed, and he too, along with Keira, began walking towards the door. By the time Aki reached the desk, they had left, along with most everyone else. An then, they were gone.

"Aki, I have your Japanese Aptitude test here." The teacher said calmly, pulling a pair of sheets from his desk. "To be blunt, . . . you failed."

That crushed the Amazon's spirit pretty quickly. But, other than the internal destruction, she kept a facade of perfect calmness, simply nodding to his explanation.

"It's not hopeless, but it's not enough either." He sighed. "I can give you a second test, but you need to get more help outside of class. If you fail the second one, I'm going to recommend you for remedial classes and pull you out of others. There's nothing else I can do. You need a passing grade to stay where you are."

"Is that why you asked me to wait here too?" another voice asked. Aki recognized the feminine tone. Turning and glancing in her direction, she noticed that the room was now empty except for the teacher, the other voice, and herself.

"Well, yes." the teacher replied quietly. "I know you tutor a lot of other students, and you might not be able to, but I wanted to ask you if you could help Aki for a little while."

"Its no problem." She replied, smiling. "Tokaiya's gotten his math up, so he's cancelled the rest of his lessons. I'm free today and Thursdays now. So, I'll gladly help out." She turned to the Amazon. "That is, if Aki want's my help."

Aki blinked. Why wouldn't she? "Thank you . . . very much, Ganko."

The girl smiled, pressing her glasses further up her nose. "No problem. I don't have any plans to fill my time I just had open, so I can help out. It's on the house today."

The teacher nodded, handing Aki the test. "Well, then, if you two want to work in here, I have other papers to grade, so I won't be leaving for a while. I just can't let you take the test with you." He paused, thinking. "If you two want to have another session, let me know, and I'll make a copy for you."

"Thank you, Hanabishi-sensei." Ganko replied, before walking over to a desk, motioning for Aki to sit down.

Aki, although still a bit surprised at the turn of events, sat down as well. After all, it wasn't like she had much choice. If she failed the next test, . . . uh, it would be bad. Somehow. She didn't really understand that part. But it was important she didn't fail! So, she would have to work hard!

- - -

"What do you think Aki needed to stay behind for?" Keira asked offhandedly as she and Sauske walked down the halls. They stopped at her locker first.

"Don't know." Sauske muttered. "It could be anything. Hanabishi-sensei is pretty quiet about things like that. But I'm sure everything is fine."

Keira nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right." Digging through her locker, grabbing what she needed while leaving what was already in her bag there, she slammed the metal door shut. "Well, I'm off to find Naruto. See you later, Sauske."

"Bye, Keira." Sauske said with a smile, waving to her as she began to run down the hall.

Keira smiled widely, waving back as she jogged away. He looked so cute in his uniform like . . .

WHAM!

Smashing into a locker which had been left at head height, Keira tumbled down onto the floor, dazed. A moment later, Sauske was helping her up. "Keira! Are you okay?!"

The girl blinked a few times, before groaning as she leaned up. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just need to pay attention." Standing up, she shook out her head, before smiling to Sauske. "Well, let's try this again." She turned, jogging down the hall, forcing any thoughts of Sauske out of her mind.

- - -

Ten minutes later, with Keira long gone, Aki with Hanabishi-sensei, Mayu and Hojo had already left, and Ganko somewhere, probably tutoring again, Sauske walked out of the door alone. The day was sunny, with only a single cloud in the sky. He smiled as he approached the gate, passing a single tree beside him as he walked.

"HEY!" a voice shouted.

Sauske paused. It sounded like it was . . .

"SAUSKE! DON'T YOU CLEAVE!" A pause. "I MEAN, LEAVE!"

Chii. Above him. Sauske glance up, and there was the Amazon, standing on the fifth branch up on the side closest to him. He was balanced easily, standing tall while leaning one hand onto the trunk, the other resting on his side. He had changed out of his school uniform. Despite the cool temperatures of mid-December, he was wearing a plain white shirt with short sleeves and no buttons. Those wraps could be seen easily, covering his whole arm from the wrist to the shoulder, at least. He still wore his school uniform pants, the black a perfect contrast to the white cotton.

"Don't think you're leaving yet!" Chii shouted a little quieter, before jumping forward.. Plummeting down, he landed on the first branch, before hopping immediately and dropping to the ground, neither grumbling or groaning at the impact on the branch and ground.

Sauske, wearing a thin, light blue windbreaker over his uniform, his bag slung over his shoulders, watched him carefully. "What is it, Chii?"

"I know you're a good fighter, Sauske." Chii replied with a smile. "I just wanted to see how good you are."

"What do you mean?"

"Right here, right now." Chii responded, his smile growing, raising his hands up into a fighting stance. "Let's see who's better."

Next Chapter: Sauske and Chii face off; but with two cracked ribs, will Sauske be able to win the fight?

Finally! I got chapter 28 up! Sorry about the extreme delay, but I'm finally back. I'm hoping not to miss any more chapters for a while, and with college applications and schoolwork done for a while, there doesn't seem to be anything that should hold me up for a while. I'm not sure how good this chapter is because I added a lot of stuff on the fly. So, I hope it wasn't too bad. But, it should have some really good stuff coming up in the next chapters.

Anyway, on with the reviews:

Paige C: YAY! The primal idea worked! One of the founding points of the story worked out! Hooray! Anyway, Sauske's feelings on it will be coming out in small doses in the story, just like you hoped, and Aki said she wouldn't try to draw out Sauske's aura. It's up to you if you believe her or not. As for Happosai's apprentice, let me just say . . . it'll be a while. But they **will **be back, and, if my ideas work out as well as they have, you will be, pleasantly or not, surprised. But that's in the future. Oh, and Pai is cool, too! She's a fun character to write about!

nonengel: Yes, Happosai lost the battle, and won a different one. The war, if there is one, is not yet decided. (-evil laughter in background-) Anyway, Sauske's fighting is dramatically changed by that aura, because his regular personality is so pacifistic, and the aura is extremely violent. In fact, by my count, and the wayI thought of it, he has three distinct styles. First, his brawler/bruiser beat-and-smash style for his aura. Second, his speedy strike and precise takedowns, which he uses against Naruto and used at the very end of his big fight with Aki. Third, his dodge, throw, and demoralize style, which is how he beat Aki the first time, and his general style to use on weaker opponents. In this style, he just dodges, throws, and avoids fighting to not only prevent his opponent from injury, since he doesn't really want to fight them, but cause them to feel so weak, because they can't hit him, that they eventually get to the point that they give up after being hit because nothing works. That's how he defeated Aki in their first fight. She wasn't actually beaten up, she just felt as though no matter what she did, she would lose. At least, that was howI meant it.

As for Keira and Sauske interactions, that's definitely going to happen. But, not just them, but all of the characters, ifI can get everything lined up and written properly, will be getting a lot more time in the story.

The Liz: Good,I was worried thatI might confuse people with all that primal stuff. And I'm always glad to hear that people like my fight scenes! Oh, and even though it's late, Happy New Year to you, and everyone else.

Shinjiku: Yep, Aki's back. And she's not going to start to fade from the story as much as she did those few chapters. Okay, maybe sometimes, but that'll happen with a lot of characters as the story goes on.

And to everyone, thank you for your reviews! They all mean a lot to me.


	29. Losing Control

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma 1/2_, nor claim to.

Chapter Twenty Nine: Losing Control:

"I'm dying, praying, bleeding, and screaming. Am I too lost to be saved? Am I too lost?" Evanescence: _Tourniquet_

"What are you talking about?" Sauske asked gently, watching the male Amazon warrior standing in stance he had not seen before.

The other boy had his body low, seemingly cutting his height in half, his front leg stuck out in front of him, straight and fully extended, with his back leg, the right one, bent below him, the knee facing out. His left arm was low as well, reaching slightly below his chin level and fully stretched, palm down. His right hand was straight back, his arm angled towards the ground with the pinkie, ring, and middle finger of the hand curled in, with the index finger and thumb extended.

"A fight, Sauske." Chii replied, holding the position solidly. His body simply held itself, unmoving, in that stance. "You and me. Here and now. This might be my only chance to meet you."

"Huh?"

"Sorry, sorry, I meant **beat** you." Chii repeated. "This might be my only chance to **beat **you."

"Does it have to be today? I'm tired, and I can't get into fights."

"It has to be now!"

Sauske blinked. "Why is that?"

Chii snorted, before sighing. "You're better, Sauske. If it's going to be flair, it has to be now."

"Fair?"

"Uh . . . yes. I meant fair."

Sauske paused, before quickly shaking his head. "No, Chii, I can't do it." Sauske said loudly, adjusting the straps of his back, before beginning to turn away to walk home.

CHSHH! Sauske turned, the sound of moving earth drawing his attention. His eyes re-locked on Chii just in time to see what had happened.

The boy had pushed himself forward and up, his arms drawing together by his sides, balancing only on his left foot, the one which had been totally extended just a moment before. His face was calm and focused, as he began to tilt, and seem to fall, forward. Suddenly, though, something changed. _"It's already started, Sauske."_

KA-CHHSH! Sauske almost lost sight of the Amazon when he bolted forward, a large cloud of dust kicked up behind him. It was four meters before he had to take another step, although that was barely an instant's time. The boy's feet pushed off as fast as they could go, already falling behind in the speed of the jump. His body was low as he ran, his feet struggling to push off the ground fast enough to keep himself from falling further forward. As his body began to rise up, and the distance between him and Sauske rapidly shrunk, his left hand drew back.

CHHHHHHH! Kicking down one of his feet, Chii slid the last three meters, standing tall, before swinging out with his left hand, aiming for Sauske's right shoulder.

Twisting back away partly, putting his shoulders parallel to the fist, Sauske snapped his hand out, grabbing Chii by the wrist.

"YAH!" Chii shouted, swinging out with his other hand, attacking the side of Sauske's head this time.

Sauske immediately recognized the hit, and instead of blocking, he ducked, turning parallel with his opponent's arms. The fist passed overhead, while a tug pulled Chii forward, leaning the boy over him. Sauske shot his free left hand out, grabbing the Amazon by the belt. Gripping tightly, he shoved his shoulder up, followed by his whole body.

With a fling to his right, Sauske sent Chii to the side, the boy flipping halfway in mid-air, to slam down on his back flatly with a loud WHAM! The sound caused nearby students to cringe.

Sauske wasn't in great shape either though, hunched forward and grabbing his left biceps. There was pain there; a lot of pain. It may not be dislocated, but the muscle was still bruised, and that throw reminded him of it and the light pain in his chest. It took a moment to compose himself, before he leaned up, looking for an exit.

Then he realized what he should have known from experience. Sure, school may be over, but that didn't mean that a crowd wouldn't form. The Saotome noticed a ring of people, several deep, all around, watching intently. He could probably jump them, but the pain in his chest told him that might not be a good idea. And Chii would probably not let him get away that easy.

"Sauske." Chii muttered behind his target. The boy in question turned back to see his opponent rising to his feet. "We're fighting now. We're going to finish this."

Sauske could do nothing but sigh, turn back, and throw his school bag as far over the crowd as it would go. He heard a dull THUNK! as it landed beyond his sight. He raised his hands, his left one a bit lower than the right.

-

"That took way too long!" Keira muttered angrily to herself as she burst out the door. She hadn't changed into her ninja clothes today; there would be no sparring with Sauske today, now that he was recovering from his injuries. The best she could hope for was to either go to his house, her restaurant, or that ice cream place they went to occasionally.

There was another reason for the more natural clothes she was wearing. Naruto. He would listen to her and cut Sauske a break, but only if he knew that there was no way Sauske would be fighting anyone today. If he thought Sauske would even contemplate sparring, Naruto wold be after his rival immediately.

So, that's why she had put on the blue jeans and a white button up shirt she had found in her dresser, along with the small bag she had slipped into her belt, holding only one kunai and a pair of shuriken stars. If her mom hadn't ordered her to get something to go over the top, shouting about how cold it was getting in the third week of December, she wouldn't have had to spend so much time searching for a sweater to wear too. It had been so long since she had needed one; her ninja clothes were designed to be warm and thin, so she rarely had to pull out anything beyond that. Besides, it doesn't get **that** cold in Tokyo.

But, her mother had been insistent, so, now properly dressed, she was running through the streets Sauske normally took home, searching for Naruto.

And had found nothing yet. "Why is he so hard to find all the time!" She muttered again, before turning another corner. "He disappears just like his dad does, except he gets where he wants to go. Now, why can't he just go somewhere I'm looking!"

-

"All right, Aki," Ganko continued, turning to the next page of the test. "Translate '_The man is building his house across the street._'"

Aki grimaced at Ganko's horrendous pronunciation, but the words made sense. She began to write furiously on her scrap of paper in front of her, before finishing and sliding it to the girl sitting next to her.

"Wow, that was fast." Ganko muttered to herself. "You shouldn't rush, Aki. There's plenty of time to do the test, so don't go too fast, or you'll make a lot of mistakes." She glanced down at the sheet, sighing, before circling the fourth kanji. "Like here. The crossbar doesn't go all the way across like it should. That's wrong already."

Aki sighed, ignoring Ganko's voice for a moment, staring at the sheet as four more kanji were circled as wrong. This was going to be much tougher than she thought. And, as the teacher had so kindly reminded her, she had to have her make up re-taken before finals. Less than a month to drag her grade up to a passing score.

This was going to be very difficult.

-

Sauske cursed under his breath, but stood firm. "I don't want to fight you, Chii."

The Amazon nodded. "Well, I configured that. I mean . . . figured that. But, we are." he finished very matter-of-fact-ly.

The dirt slid under his shoe as Chii bolted forward again. Instead of causing Sauske to tighten up, or even step back in shock, he did something quite different.

Sauske's arms dropped a little, as he blinked at the oncoming attacker. He was just going so . . . slow. Yes, he was still quite fast for a normal person, but compared to how fast he was running a moment ago . . . it was like watching a car drive by at a hundred miles per hour, then turn around and go back at fifteen. The difference was huge.

Then again, he was still running towards him, so Sauske quickly returned his arms to their proper position, clenching his hands. Just because he was slow didn't mean it would be easy.

Chii finished his approach, before swinging out at Sauske again with his right hand. Sauske caught it as well, like last time, but Chii knew that would happen. Now it was time for the differences.

Shifting his weight to his left side, the Amazon lifted his right foot, swinging it to his left side, before it went up and back in a quick inside-crescent kick. Sauske turned aside like last time, but instead of escaping the kick, he took it in the chest.

The Saotome fell away, stumbling backwards a few steps, gasping his chest in pain. That **hurt**! If the pain in his left arm after the throw had been bad, remembering he had two cracked ribs, and he had just been kicked in them, was not worse news.

He was getting careless. Chii had said he was worse, but Sauske wasn't focused. If he didn't pull it together soon, things would be a real problem. He glanced up, breathing laboriously through the pain.

It was then he realized how long he had been hunched. Several seconds, several valuable seconds Chii could have used to attack, had passed. In a fight a split second could change everything, but Chii hadn't even moved. He simply watched the black haired Japanese boy with a curious glance. Why was he waiting?

"Feeling better yet?" Chii asked calmly.

Sauske stared. He had to attack at full force if he wanted to win . . . but after what happened a few days ago . . . could he still control himself? He was told he could, but that didn't mean he would do it. What if he lost control again? In front of everyone? Even Sakura turning into her cursed form wouldn't be as bad as his aura letting loose in front of his friends and classmates. He couldn't let that happen no matter . . .

"Are you going to stand?" Chii asked, still watching his opponent hunched over, panting from pain. "We have a fight to finish."

Sauske stared up, weighing his options. He wasn't above using what he thought he would have to. It didn't mean he liked to, but this time, there was no choice. No other way out.

Slowly, the Saotome stood up, balancing himself on his legs, trying to even out his breath as he rose, blocking out the pain. "It's over, Chii. I can't go on. I've taken too much, and I'm still recovering from Saturday." Sauske found it hard to look Chii in the eyes, since he was lying directly to his face. The boy knew he had a good amount of strength to fight left, but it was too much of a risk to go on. He couldn't let his aura out; not in front of all of these people. "I have to give . . ."

Chii interrupted him. "What do you mean you can't go on? You ought to have another trick up your sleeves, as they say. Like your aura?"

Sauske's eyes widened, staring in horror at the boy in front of him. His face quickly paled, as his body began to sweat a little, his left leg sliding back to keep him balanced.

"You have more strength left, Sauske. I've seen it. An aura that makes you stronger, an aura that is more powerful than any other one I've seen. Surely you haven't forgotten about it?"

Sauske could hear the murmured whisperings of the crowd around him.

"Is that true?"

"Sauske has an . . . aura?"

"So that blond kid wasn't lying?"

"What's Sauske going to do? Is the King going to give up?"

He gulped, his arms feeling limp and heavy. What could he do! If his aura came out, it was all over. But there was no way he could just walk away now. Everybody would just keep hounding him and questioning him until they were satisfied if he quit, and they wouldn't be until they knew what his aura was. He was running out of time.

Inside, he realized there was only one action he could feasibly take. Out of three, there was only one he could do and have a chance to get out with a winning situation. He didn't like it, and the chance of success was low . . . but, considering both his other options, run or use the aura, were lose-lose situations, he didn't have much of a choice.

"Well, Sauske, what do you say?" Chii asked calmly, watching the boy as the last of the blood drained from his face.

Sauske sighed, before straightening himself up. "Sorry."he muttered, before his legs moved.

Chii moved as well, but it was well beyond too late. WHAM! A hand imbedded itself in Chii's gut, causing the boy to double over before being shoved back a few meters, falling onto the ground in shock. Sauske had, almost instantly, raced up and slammed his left hand into his stomach.

That's not to say that Sauske wasn't hurt too, though.

"AAGH!" Sauske cringed, grabbing his left arm again, his focus shot. He could barely move it now without the pain racking his brain.

There was a cough, a sputter, then the Amazon began to lean up. "Hurt your arm," HACK! "eh? Too bad, Sauske. You only have one left." Slowly, he rose to his feet.

"I only need one." The boy, still white in the face, replied. He had to strike hard and fast, before his aura came loose. It was a race against time, and a fear of losing, a fear of humiliation, and a fear of himself drove him on to win.

Ironic, isn't it?

After all, fear drives the red aura too.

-

Keira cursed as she turned down the next street. "Nothing, **still**." she muttered on her endless search for the son of the lost boy. If she didn't find him soon, it was assured he'd catch Sauske. And a battle, in his condition, would be very bad for her friend. She had to find Naruto . . .

"THERE!" she shouted before realizing what she was seeing. But she had been right. There was Naruto, walking steadily towards Furinken High School. "Finally." she murmured, before racing up to meet with the boy.

-

"_Can you see them fighting, Sapphire?"_ the Chinese girl next to her asked calmly, standing up on her toes to try and see over the crowd.

The other girl shook her head, her long hair swinging around. _"No, Ruby, I cannot. But why is Chii attacking him like this?"_

"_How should I know? I know Chii would avoid a worthless fight like this . . . so there's probably a reason for it. But I don't know what it is." _Ruby replied, before quietly pondering the situation. _"Where can we go to get a better view?_"

"_Hmmm."_

"_Hmmm."_

Suddenly, an idea hit them both. They turned to each other, pointing up behind themselves. _"The classrooms!" _Nodding to each other, they took off into the building.

-

Sauske was staring now, waiting for his next strike, trying to hold some control over his anger. He had to. Unfortunately, he forgot about the fear aspect. But, then again, Chii was much higher on his "To-Do" list than remembering the rules of the Akuma aura right now.

"Here I come!" the Amazon shouted, running forward. This time, Sauske wasn't surprised, nor bothered, by his slow charge. That was his real strength. It was like Aki's aura burst. It may let him be strong once, but his general strength was much lower.

He hoped.

With a snap of his arm, Chii swung his fist out straight for Sauske's chest again. Sauske, like every time before, turned parallel to the blow. But this time, he didn't grab the wrist of the Amazon. And Chii didn't stop there, either.

Bending in his right arm to cross it over himself and towards Sauske again, he shoved it forward, twisting his body to keep the punch strong. The Japanese boy leaned aside calmly, letting the punch miss widely, before Chii tried another strike. Lifting his left leg, he swivelled and swung with his left foot in a wide roundhouse, aiming for the top of Sauske's chest.

Sauske ducked down, letting the foot graze the top of his head, before standing up instantly. With Chii open, Sauske struck, swinging one hand out and crushing it into Chii's gut again. The boy chocked at that, before Sauske drew his hand back, and smashed it out again into Chii's cheek.

But before the Amazon could fall away, Sauske made one last attack. Turning his body to be in front of the boy, Sauske swung out with his raised left foot, keeping his attack low. His foot contacted with his opponent's knee, shoving it back behind him and putting him further off balance, as well as turning the fall from backwards to forwards. Swinging his foot around in a crescent, Sauske moved his leg around enough to allow the Amazon to fall down in front of him without obstruction. And now, his foot was high above Chii. Sauske clenched his teeth as he prepared himself.

WHAM! "GAAAH!" Chii shouted as an axe kick landed square in his back, causing a rush of pain to flood his mind as Sauske's heel dug into his spine. His right hand dug into the dirt, trying to find something to let the pain out on. His left hand, however, reached for a different target.

Sauske jumped back as Chii's hand snaked out after his ankle, before hopping back several more steps to put a large distance between them, before swinging up his right hand to protect his face, leaving his left arm limp to avoid another painful incident. He was panting a little, but he wasn't hurting too much anymore. The adrenaline must have blocked that out. His chest wasn't giving him much of a break with the occasional heaving breath, but it was ignorable. Chii wasn't.

The Amazon, however, was slow to stand. His back was aching and his body was feeling weak. But, he still placed his hands on the ground, pushing his shoulders up and pulling his legs back underneath himself. One foot after the other, he began to lean back into a crouch, before slowly forcing himself up onto his feet. "Is that it, Sauske?" He said with a calm expression, before his eyes widened. There it was.

Sauske blinked, before noticing his hand. The red glow, flowing between his fingers. "No! I can't let it out!" he screamed in his head, clamping his hand shut. But this time, the red didn't disappear. It swirled and swished, but continued to flow around his fist. "NO! Get away!" he continued in his thoughts, only causing the red to glow.

"_Here it comes." _Chii muttered to himself, watching everything Sauske did. Any slight movement, little sign, and odd flow of aura, he would spot and remember it.

The red began to glow brighter. "What's happening!" Sauske continued in his thoughts, watching the red expand around his hand. "Why can't I stop it!"

-

Ganko glanced around the room. The teacher had been gone for a few minutes, and it was unlikely that he would be back for a while. This was her only chance. It was time to take it. "So, Aki . . ." the Amazon glanced up at her, "I heard that you are engaged to Sauske."

Aki blinked, watching the black haired girl curiously. Her face was still turned down, checking Aki's answers, as if the question was as casual as her tone. She decided it was best to just go along with it. "Yes, I am . . . not by choice, but I am."

"Oh? Really?"

Aki glanced at her again, before returning to her work. "Yes . . . it was not supposed to . . . turn out the way it did . . . I had no reason to marry him . . . but life does not always let us . . . live where we want."

"So, you didn't love him when you got engaged?"

Aki shook her head. "No."

Ganko slid her glasses up her nose more, making sure not to look up or alter her tone. She wanted her voice to be as detached and calming as possible to keep herself from causing Aki to lock up. "So, what about now?"

The Amazon stared at her tutor for a moment. "What about it?"

"Do you love him now?"

Aki blinked, pausing and considering the question for a moment. She knew the answer she wanted to shout out; that hadn't changed since the beginning. Now all she needed was the confirmation of her heart. "I . . ."

"_In here!" _a female voice shouted, followed by a bunch of running steps. Aki and Ganko looked up to see two Chinese girls running into the room. Aki blinked as her friends ran by to the window. _"There! They must be taking a break from fighting or something!"_

"_I see them!" _The second girl, with the light blue hair, called out as well.

"_What's going on?"_ Aki asked, standing up and walking a few steps towards the window the two girls were at. Ganko slid out of her chair and followed. _"Who's fighting, Ruby, Sapphire?"_

The redhead turned back, staring at Aki. _"You don't know? It's your brother and your future husband!"_

"_What?"_ Aki asked, in shock, her eyes glazing over a little.

The redhead gulped, before stepping aside, opening space at the window. _"Chii and Sauske are fighting, Aki._"

There was a short period of silence.

"_WHAT!"_ Aki screamed, running forward to the window, looking out to see the crowd surrounding the two tired fighters. She stared out for a moment, before turning and running out the door of the classroom. _"DAMMIT!"_

The three girls watched the doorway carefully.

There was a pause.

Ganko gulped. "Is it bad?"

The other two nodded. "Yes, very bad."

Then, the three of them crowded around the window.

-

Sauske clenched his hand. What was wrong with him! Why couldn't he pull in his aura! What was doing this to him! If he let it out . . . everything would be gone! He had to stop it!

But he couldn't!

"Strike." he thought to himself suddenly. "Strike now, so you finish the fight. Then there's nothing to be afraid of."

Gulping once, he resigned to his only option again. Attack before he lost everything.

Chii was stumbling a bit, but the pause in the fight had given him some extra strength. He could force the pain out of his mind, but if he started moving, it might come back. He'd have to try to stay as still as possible. Get Sauske to come to him, so that . . .

Sauske was already moving, racing towards him. His reaction was instantaneous, and unintentional. His fingers spread, before swinging up and connecting index finger and index finger, thumb and thumb, forming a large triangle in the center of his hands, the rest of his fingers pointing up.

"_No! Don't!"_ He suddenly shouted in his head, realizing what he was doing. His hands broke apart, and, realizing how little time he had to do anything to protect himself from Sauske, he simply gave up. _"I messed up." _he thought softly. _"It's over."_

Sauske began to slide along the ground, right up to the Amazon. His right hand was slid back, ready to punch, before it shot forward, flying up towards his face. Chii clenched his muscles, waiting for the next hit.

He stood, waiting.

-

"God, thankfully that's over." Keira muttered to herself, already walking away from Naruto, who was going home, having agreed to not attack Sauske. "Then again, where was Sauske-kun? He should have passed Naruto long ago." She thought as she walked, resting and trying to guess where he might be. "Maybe he hasn't left the school yet."

Turning towards the school, she saw something off in the distance. "Hey, what's that crowd doing at school?"

She thought about that as she began jogging in that direction, before an idea come into her mind. "Hey, maybe there's a fight going on . . . oh no!"

Then, she began running.

-

There was nothing.

Realizing he had shut his eyes, Chii opened them to see Sauske's fist, frozen in place in front of him, the gentle red glow gone. The boy's face was no longer pale; instead, it was confused.

"Why did you stop?" The Amazon asked calmly.

"Why did you?" Sauske replied.

"What are you talking about?"

"Your hands. They were formed into something, but then you split it up. Why did **you **stop?"

Chii gulped. That wasn't supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to do that. If only something would come and break it up, he . . .

"_GET OUT OF THE WAY!"_ A voice suddenly shouted.

Sauske and Chii both glanced in that direction, as the crowd began to part. Neither of them needed to see who was coming to know who was there.

Chii gulped, but didn't move. _"This is bad."_ he thought to himself.

It took another moment for Aki to finally force herself through the crowd. It was like a pair of car headlights, with Chii and Sauske being the animals caught in them. They stared back at her, almost hypnotized, as she began an angry march towards them. Grabbing Sauske's raised hand, she shoved him to the side. "Wait . . . there!" she commanded, pointing at him with her finger only centimeters from his face.

Then she turned to her brother. _"Chii."_

The boy took a step back. He was brave, but he wasn't stupid. _"Yes, Aki?"_

"_Are you OUT OF YOU MIND! What the hell were you doing!"_

"_Um . . . sparring?"_

"_Don't give me that, you moron! You were fighting Sauske, something I specifically asked you not to do! This better not have anything to do with his aura!"_ There was a quiet pause. _"You didn't?"_

"_Um . . . oops?"_

"_CHII! I only told you about that so you **wouldn't** go after him for it! I made a promise to not do anything to force out Sauske's aura! What the hell do you think Keira is going to say!"_

"What's going on?" A girl's voice asked, coming after a soft TAK! sound as someone landed on the edge of the wall. "Sauske-kun? What happened?"

The boy in question, as well as the two Amazons, glanced over. There was Keira, crouching on the wall, wearing a pair of jeans and a white sweater. But before Sauske could answer, the Amazons went back to arguing.

"_Thanks a lot, Chii!_ _Anything else you want to mess with right now? I've already been forced to move once because of you!"_

"_It's not my fault Aki! I didn't want to leave either! It wasn't my idea!"_

"_I don't care! Everything that's happened here isn't my fault! If it were up to Pai and . . . oh god! PAI!"_

Everyone watched as the female Amazon screamed out her sister's name, shoving her way through the crowd, and then went bolting out of the schoolyard. A few moments later, Chii began hobbling after her, disappearing in the same disorganized crowd.

Keira hopped down, walking through the now dissipating mass of people, heading for her friend. "Sauske-kun? What's going on here?"

He stared at the place where Aki and Chii had gone for a moment, before the events returned to his mind. His head turned down, and he sighed. "It almost came out, Keira." Sauske muttered, still calm, but with a hint of fear at the back starting to surface.

"You . . . you don't mean . . ."

"Yes, I do. Chii was after it too."

"Chii? Aki's brother?"

Sauske nodded solemnly.

"I should have known." Keira muttered to herself. "Aki's still trying to get out your aura again! After she promised to . . ."

"I don't think it was Aki." Sauske muttered back, walking to his bag.

"What makes you think that?"

"Did you see the way she was screaming at Chii?"

"Maybe it was because she didn't want us to get suspicious?"

"No, I don't think so. The fight was already over when she got here." Sauske reached down, scooping up his backpack with his right hand. "And she broke us up further. She didn't want us to fight."

The girl stood for a moment, thinking. She sighed. "That's a good point, Sauske-kun." Keira replied, walking up to him. "I guess . . . she wasn't kidding when she promised me . . . Well, at least you're safe." She finished, poking him gently in his arm.

Sauske gasped through his clenched teeth at that, now remembering the newest injury in his arm again.

"Sauske?" The ninja asked, her eyes widening. "What happened?"

"I hurt my arm throwing a punch at Chii."

"Here, I'll walk you to the clinic." Keira replied, stepping around him to be on his other side, and the two began to walk towards Ono's office.

-

"_How could I forget!"_ Aki shouted to herself as she ran, dodging past all the people along the sidewalks. When it got too crowded, she jumped up, landing on the fence, and just ran on up there. _"How could I be so stupid!"_

She jumped off at the corner, turning as she dropped down, before touching the ground and bolting off towards the stop. She just hoped Pai had found her way home safe, or she was still waiting there. Pai would understand; she was a smart girl, so if Aki was late for a good reason, which she **was**, she would understand. Her brother, or her parents . . . not so much.

Which is why she skidded to a halt long before she reached the bus stop. It was in view, and she could see Pai there, safe. Unfortunately, she also saw the person next to her; the one person she **really** didn't want to see there.

"_Aki?"_ He asked, walking towards her with Pai in tow. _"Where were you? Pai has been waiting here for almost half an hour."_

"_I got held up at school."_ Aki replied, leaning forward a bit to catch her breath.

"_Aki, you were supposed to come here to make sure Pai got home."_ The boy admonished, continuing to walk towards her.

"_I know that! But I wasn't expecting to be held up! I only remembered that a minute ago, and here I am already, Tenchuu."_

The boy shook his head at his younger sister. _"You should have planned around that, gone and brought Pai home first, and then gone back to school; or brought her with you back to Furinken."_

"_Plan around it! How was I supposed to do that! I didn't even know about it until school ended!"_

"_What could have been so important for you to not come and get your sister?"_

"_I failed the test!" _Aki suddenly blurted out.

There was a pause.

Aki sighed, dropping her head. _"I failed the Japanese Aptitude test. If I fail it again, . . . they're going to drop me down."_

Squeaky-Squeaky! _"You failed the test!"_

Tenchuu didn't turn back to see what the sign said. _"Family comes first. You know . . ."_

"_Of course I know that!" Aki shouted. "I'm not an idiot! But I've only been practicing for that for a couple **years** now, and not only did I not pass, I might get stuck in that school **longer**!"_

"_You still have a duty to watch out for your sister!"_ Tenchuu replied, beginning to raise the volume of his voice. _"Let the schools say what they may, but you cannot abandon your family without warning!"_

"_I didn't abandon her! I came as soon as I remembered, understand! I couldn't have been here any faster than I was!"_

"_A half hour late!"_

"_Would 'I'm sorry' fix this!"_

"_No, it wouldn't! You have to live up to your age. You're not only an Amazon, you're an adult Amazon female. You've passed the maturity rites, and now you have to live up to it!"_

"_Well, I tried!"_

"_Then try harder!"_

She groaned._"Forget it!" _Aki shouted, turning and walking away, back off in some direction **away** from her older brother.

Tenchuu took a step forward. _"Aki, where are you going!"_

The girl stopped, clenching her teeth, before glancing down at her foot. She reached down, scooped something up, before standing tall again. She turned her head to look at her brother, before winding up and swinging her arm out at him.

WHIZZ! The boy, with all the speed he could muster, just barely slid his head aside in time to dodge the small rock thrown by his sister. KINK! DI-KINK-Kink-kink! The noise began to die off as the stone bounced away, and so, the boy leaned back up, turning back to the thrower.

Aki mumbled as she walked away, not turning back to see him again. _"Stupid . . . over-protective . . . pompous bastard!_" Then, she turned the corner, and disappeared from sight.

Next Chapter: Whether or not things go together well one day, people still have to get up the next one and continue on with life, and that's just what the children of Nerima will have to do.

* * *

And that's the end of chapter twenty-nine! I'm sorry this got out a bit later than it should have, but I had some trouble getting the chapter finished in time. This one has been a challenge from the start. I actually made too long, and had to shorten it, making the start of the next chapter the original ending to this one. Also, the fight scene might not have been up to snuff like it usually is, so, sorry about that. Hopefully that won't be too much of a problem. I think I'm starting to get back into the feel of this, though, so it should be smooth writing for a little while. 

And now, took away another one of my break patterns. AllI can do now is a single dash. So, I'm sorry if the text doesn't look right.

Anyway, on with the reviews:

Paige C: Hmm, those are several interesting points. Don't worry, Sauske still doesn't know about Keira's feelings . . . for now. As for Aki, . . . well, whether or not she's starting to like Sauske is up to you to decide for now as well. I don't quite see how she's getting to be giddy, but i guess it makes sense. As for Aki and Ganko, let me just say you should watch this carefully.

nonengle: Yep, I'm glad to be updating the story again. And thanks for reviewing.

Shinjiku: Of course Aki will be in the story for a long time! She's one of the central characters, and she's one of my favorites. She's a fun character to write for (especially the dialouge).


	30. Another Day, Another Curse, Another Pers...

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma 1/2_, nor claim to.

Chapter Thirty: Another Day, Another Curse, Another Person:

"I want the things that I had before, like a _Star Wars_ poster on my bedroom door. I wish I could count to ten and make everything be wonderful again." Everclear: _Wonderful_

Sauske sat on the edge of the bed, thinking over everything that had happened. Here he was again, seconds from using his aura, hurt, and his life on the verge of catastrophe. What would have happened if he let his aura go in that crowd? Eventually, Chii would have been beaten back, but that wouldn't stop him from attacking. Eventually, someone would run in to save the Amazon, and then . . .

"Sauske!" Ono said firmly, a tone of annoyance and worry mixing together in his voice.

"Huh!" Sauske replied, pausing, and then glancing up at his uncle.

"What were you thinking about?" Ono asked, calmly, watching Sauske carefully. The boy opened his mouth to speak, before paling a bit and turning away. "I see." the doctor replied, reaching around to swing the strap of the sling over the boy's shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Sauske sighed, running his free right hand through his hair, stopping his fingers halfway through. "I . . . I almost used it again. Already. I was this close," he swung his hand free of his black hair, scrunching his fingers close together for effect, "to using it again. This close!"

"But you didn't. You stopped yourself."

"Not by much. Chii just confused me, and then Aki broke up the fight. If either of those things didn't happen, I'm sure it would have come out."

"What happened?"

Sauske sighed, before taking in a deep breath and beginning. "I had just left school when Chii jumped out of a tree and challenged me. I tried to convince him to leave me alone, since I had gotten hurt, but he was insistent, so the fight began anyway. Then, during the fight, he told me he knew about my aura, and he wanted to see it. Now everyone at school knows that it exists, and unless I get lucky, people are going to want to see it too! And I can't do that!"

"Then what happened?"

"I . . . I freaked out! I didn't know what to do, I was so scared I might lose control! So, I decided to attack him with everything I had, and try to out race the thing. It wasn't working, though! When it finally started to come out, I couldn't . . . I couldn't pull it back. I crushed it, and it just kept growing! I . . . I didn't know what to do!"

Ono nodded before patting the boy on the shoulder. "It's simple, Sauske. You can't let your emotions take over. Don't think about it visually, think about it mentally. Don't crush it, . . . leave it. Focus on breathing, slowing yourself down, relaxing yourself. Eliminating the fear, the anger, the hatred, and that will get rid of the aura. Fighting it won't work. You have to replace it."

Sauske breathed out loudly, letting his shoulders slump. "I know. I . . . it's just . . . I held it for three years."

"That's quite an achievement, Sauske. Don't be upset about that."

"But only three!" He said loudly, looking worriedly up at his uncle's face. "Three years! My dad kept in the Neko-ken for eight! And now, he's got total control over it!"

Ono shook his head. "Not total control."

"Well . . . err, fine, not total control. But all he'll ever need!"

"Sauske, don't worry about it. Remember what happened a few days ago, what happened three years ago, all the things that set you off." The boy gulped, wondering what the point was and hoping none of those memories would kick out the aura again. "Now, think about all the times between those days where you got mad and **didn't** use your aura."

Sauske sat, saying nothing.

"You've held yourself back, Sauske. You've never let your aura out for a worthless reason." Ono reached up, taking off his glasses, and cleaning them on his shirt. After a moment, he slid them onto his face. "You've had your own control against something far more potent than the Neko-ken. You're much stronger than you think. Don't forget that, all right?"

Sauske paused, before nodding.

"Keira? Is that you?" a voice sounded outside, before the door shut loudly. Ono and Sauske looked up towards the waiting room.

After a moments pause, Keira's voice spoke up. "Oh, hello, Ganko. What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for Sauske. Some of the kids at school said he hurt his arm, so I thought he would have come here. Is he?"

"Yes, he's inside with the doctor." There was a shuffling sound. "Here, sit down."

"Well, you're all set, Sauske." Ono said suddenly, patting the boy once more on the shoulder before sliding his chair back and standing up. "Leave your arm in the sling as long as you can, and you can take it off before you go to school tomorrow. Your arm will be fine by then. Just don't overwork it any more this week, okay?"

The boy nodded, standing up. "Thanks, Uncle." He said, a little shaken, but his face wasn't pale anymore.

"Oh, and Sauske?" Ono said, turning back to the boy. Sauske nodded, looking at his uncle. "Just remember what I told you. I didn't say it because you're family." He paused a moment. "I said it because it's true." Then he turned and walked into his office.

Sauske paused, watching him leave, before nodding and walking to the doorway to the waiting room. Scanning the room as it came into view, he saw the two girls waiting for him, quietly chatting in a pair of chairs facing the entrance, with the doorway to the examination room on their left side.

"Hi, Ganko." Sauske said quietly, causing both girls to glance up immediately, turning to him. "Is there something you wanted to see me for?"

Ganko blinked, watching him. He was wearing his school uniform, his left arm in a pasty blue sling, that hand slightly open and hanging down a bit at the wrist. His face was serious and distant, as if he had a lot on his mind. She had no doubt about that; Sauske may not have been the brightest kid in class, but he wasn't a dunce either. Besides, life's never been easy for anyone in Nerima all the time. Or anywhere else, for that matter. Sauske was proof of that.

After a moment, though, the black haired girl collected her thoughts, grabbing one of the two schoolbags she had with her. "Aki left her things behind in the classroom. When she ran, I waited around to see if she would come back, and she didn't. I wanted to know if you knew where she lived; I need to return her things."

The boy nodded. "I can show you; it's not far from here." Ganko smiled, standing up with the two bags in her hands. He turned to the brown haired girl next to her. "Are you going to come too, Keira?"

The Kuonji sat, thinking for a moment, before nodding and standing. "Yeah, I'll come too. I probably should." She flashed a smile in his direction. "I said I'd keep Naruto and goofy challengers at bay, right? I missed one, so I better be on real guard this time."

Sauske paused, thinking about that, before smiling too. "Yeah, that sounds good. Come on," he said, the smile remaining for the first time since lunch, "let's get going. I've got chemistry work tonight."

The other two girls laughed and nodded, following him out the door and onto the streets of Nerima, Tokyo.

-

The door creaked gently open. Aki ignored it, not moving any part of her body between her face and her feet. She laid prone on her bed, ignoring the rest of the world. She wasn't crying; no, this wasn't as bad as that second loss to Sauske. That didn't mean today was a basket of hearts and roses, either.

There was a gentle poke in her side. _"No, mother, I do not want to talk about it."_

There was a short pause.

Another poke. _"Father, please just leave me alone._"

Another pause.

Another jab. _"Tenchuu, you can go away **now!**"_

**Another **pause.

She felt her side get poked again. Aki rolled suddenly, leaning up. _"Enough, Chii! I . . . oh._" Aki looked down at the small, slightly surprised face staring up at her. The Amazon relaxed. _"I'm sorry,Pai." _She mumbled, before leaning back down ono the bed.

Squeaky-Squeaky! _"What's wrong, Aki?"_

Aki paused in her lean, glanced at the sign, and sighed. _"Nothing, Pai. It's been a long day."_

Squeaky-Squeaky!_ "It's only four-thirty!_"

Aki sighed again. _"What can I say? The clock is slow." _She collapsed back down onto the bed.

Squeaky-Squeaky!

Aki didn't look up. _"Can I just be alone for a while, Pai?"_

**Squeaky-Squeaky!**

"_Please?"_

Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky-Squeaky!

"_What are you doing!" _Aki shouted, glancing up to see her sister randomly scribbling and doodling all over a sheet of paper.

Pai, noticing her sister was up, dropped the doodle-sign she was holding, and pulled out her last one, which had been drawn over a second time. "_**Do you want some help with your Japanese?**"_

Aki stared for a moment, before shaking her head. _"No, someone at school was helping me. I'll talk to her tomorrow about it."_

Squeaky-Squeaky! _"Aki, what's really wrong?"_

The blue haired Amazon paused at that, before turning and dangling her legs off her bed, leaning her upper body forward. _"I want to go home . . . nobody cares here . . . not like home . . . not like China."_

"_AKI!" _Shampoo's voice shouted upstairs. _"You have some friends here to see you! Including someone here about your test!"_

The girl glanced out her door, before sighing and shaking her head. She stood up, brushing her hair into a more presentable shape with her fingers before walking out the door and down the stairs.

There, sitting at one of the tables by the doorway in their still-closed restaurant, were three people. Two were dressed in Furinkan uniforms, one female, the other male. Both had short black hair, the girl's a little longer, the boy's a little messier. Sitting with them was a third girl with long brown hair, wearing jeans and a white sweater. Aki stopped dead at the bottom of the stairs.

What were **they** doing here!

Ganko muttered something to Sauske, before turning up and seeing Aki watching them. "Oh, Aki! There you are." Ganko said loudly enough for her voice to reach across the room. Standing up, she raced over to the Amazon, carrying a pair of school bags.

"Why . . . are you here, Ganko? . . . Did something happen?" Aki asked, incredulous.

"Huh? No, you forgot your bag at school. When you didn't come back for it, I had Sauske show me where you lived, so I could return it." She smiled pleasantly. "That, . . . and I wanted to ask if you wanted to meet again to go over your test and work on your writing."

Aki could hear her sister walk down a few steps to see them from upstairs, but she forced that out of her mind. "Um . . . yes, that would be . . . very helpful, Ganko."

The girl nodded, handing over the bag, which Aki took. "Well, um, the other thing is, while . . . uh, after the first . . . I, um . . . "

"Ganko, . . . just say it." Aki replied, watching the girl fumble with words.

"Well," Ganko replied, scratching her arm nervously. "I know I said today was on the house, which it is. And since we kind of . . . got broken up, we can continue it later, but after that, . . . well, this is my job, you know. I work as a tutor, so . . . eergh, this is never easy to say like this."

"You need money."

The girl nodded to Aki. "Yeah, . . . I'm asking for . . . six hundred yen an hour. But if . . ."

Ganko was cut off by some Chinese from Mousse. Aki glanced over at her father, saying several Chinese words back, which he responded to once, before disappearing behind a door into another room. Aki turned back. "That is fine."

"Oh, . . . okay then." Ganko replied, smiling again. "I have an open slot right after school on Thursday, and, if you want, I can meet you during the winter vacation coming up. I'll have all the time you need then."

"That sounds good." Aki replied. "Thank you."

"Oh, you're welcome!" Ganko replied cheerfully.

"Is there anything else?" Aki asked calmly.

Ganko glanced between Sauske and Keira. "I'm done. What about you two?"

Sauske shook his head. It was then that Aki noticed his arm was in a sling. "Sauske! . . . What happened to . . . your arm!"

"Huh?" Sauske replied, glancing down at it. "Oh, I sprained it while fighting Chii. I"ll be all right in the morning."

"I see." Aki murmured. "Sauske . . . I'm sorry for what happened."

The boy looked up at him, blinking, before shrugging. "Don't worry about it. My arm will be fine; it's not that important." The Amazon nodded. There was a pause. "Well, I guess that's all for us, Aki."

The Amazon nodded. "Thank you, everyone."

"Aw, don't worry about it." Keira muttered.

Ganko nodded. "We're here to help Aki."

"Yeah," Sauske added, "everybody's got problems. We just happened to be there to help. It was nothing, really."

Aki nodded as the other three teens turned, saying one last "Goodbye," before opening the door to the outside, walking through, and disappearing beyond it, hidden by the sheets of brown paper placed over the glass.

The Amazon looked down at her bag, before smiling. _"Thank you, Ganko, Sauske . . . even you, Keira." _The Amazon stood, staring off at the closed doorway for a moment, before smiling. _"Maybe . . . there are reasons to stay."_

-

CLICK! He finally turned off that annoying buzzing noise.

Lifting the strap up, the cloth tugged at his arm, dragging it upwards, before lowering down at the plastic buckle, which had dug into his neck all night, was finally released to the floor. It clinked as it hit the ground, followed by a quiet thumping sound as the whole sling dropped into a heap. And that was that.

He took a minute to stretch his arm, pulling it across his body to warm up his shoulder, before making some small circles to loosen it up. Interlocking his fingers, he swung both arms out straight, pulling on all the muscles in his arms, groaning a bit. Then he swooshed his arms up and over his head and behind his back, feeling the gentle tug on his body. He leaned his back into it, feeling the pull spread into his spine. After a moment, he released his hands, swinging them both around to the front and shaking them out.

Sighing a bit, he raised his left arm a bit, swishing his forearm back and forth, feeling for tension in his elbow. It took a moment, but after several swings, he began to realize that it **was **a lot better than before. There was still some pain, but if he stayed off it for a few more days, he should be fine.

And with that, Sauske smiled, and went to the bathroom to get ready for school, happily noting that his legs weren't stiff today. He wold not have to get up early tomorrow, and he could stay a little later this morning.

-

Sakura smiled a little to herself as she saw Sauske running along normally. It was good to see him with a smile this morning, only three days after he used his aura. That was definitely good to see; he . . .

"Sakura?" Sauske asked, glancing over at her. "Is something wrong?"

The girl shook her head gently. "No, I'm just glad to see you're feeling better today." she replied with a smile, dodging around a newspaper box, causing her raven-blue hair to flick around before settling back into a windswept ponytail.

"Oh, yes, I'm feeling good about today." He said with a smile, zipping his jacket up higher from the cold. Suddenly, something dawned on him, and his face dropped.

Sakura noticed his large change in expression. "What's wrong, Sauske? Do you need to go to Uncle's?"

Sauske shook his head, jumping over a box left on the sidewalk. He wanted to be on the fence, but he knew not to push himself. At least, not today. "No, it's not that." he said, and then stopped speaking again.

There was a pause. "Did you leave something at home?"

"No."

Sakura scruffed her brow, staring, annoyed, at her brother.

"Sakura? Is something wrong?"

"Yes! What are you so suddenly upset about!"

"Huh?" Sauske replied, blinking as he ducked under a low hanging plant. "Oh, um," he glanced ahead, seeing the school coming into view, "They know . . . about us."

"Meaning?"

"They . . . my friends know about my engagement to Aki." Sauske muttered. Letting his eyes turn towards the ground. "By know, half the school probably knows. The rest will now by the end of the day."

"Oh." Sakura replied, calmer, thinking. Was it such a bad thing? Then again, they were only sixteen. Being engaged already could be a problem to some. She probably wouldn't like it either. "Well, don't sweat it, Sauske. It'll probably just make you more popular anyway!"

"Huh?" Sauske asked, curious as he looked over at his sister.

"Yeah! You're not only the best sophomore fighter in school anymore." She snickered a bit as they ran side by side. "You're now engaged to the best-looking transfer student in your class!"

"You're not helping."

"Aw, don't sweat it, Sauske. You know what they say. A rumor only lasts seventy five days, right? Just play your cards right, and everything's okay!"

Sauske sighed, shaking his head, but the smile came back. "Why not?"

Sakura smiled as well, less out of humor, and more from hope, as they ran towards the building in front of them.

-

"So, Doc, how's Sauske?" Ranma asked as Ono walked into the waiting room.

"Oh, so I take it you didn't get beaten up today?" Ono replied with a smile, to which Ranma shrugged. "As for Sauske . . . Physically, he still needs some time to heal. He's much better than he was yesterday, and he didn't hurt his arm as bad as he thought at school."

"That's good." Ranma replied, nodding.

Akane, standing up next to him, looked on with concern. "And . . . mentally?"

Ono paused, scratching his upper lip with his teeth. "Better than three years ago." he said with certainty. "He's . . . still very angry at himself for what he did, but he seems to have matured over the years. He should be fine."

"But . . . ths time wasn't as bad a fight as last time." Akane replied, her face still worried.

"That's true too, but it doesn't change anything. This time wasn't as bad. He's handling it better. That's all I can really say."Akane nodded gravely. "Sorry, Akane, but there's nothing else. I wouldn't worry about him, though. It seems like he'll be able to control it better now." He smiled encouragingly, which worked, a little.

-

Sauske scooped a bunch of rice into his mouth, smiling to his friends. "And you say I leave school too late. You should have stayed later yourselves." Mayu and Hojo glared at him from their seats, before sighing and eating quietly.

Ganko nodded, sliding the desk into a better position in front of her. "Well, you didn't miss much. It ended up a draw when . . ."

CLUNK!

The four friends turned to see Aki drop another bento box in front of Sauske, before turning and leaving without a word. "Uh, Aki?"

The girl stopped in the middle of the classroom, turning back to Sauske. "What?"

"Um, is this . . ."

"Yes, it's for you."

"Oh, um . . . thanks."

Aki nodded, turning away. "You're welcome."

"Sheesh, what happened to her?" Mayu asked to nobody in particular.

Aki paused again, sighing, before glancing to one side, seeing her brother sitting there with one of the other boys in the class. She glared at him for a moment, before walking back to her own friends.

-

"_So, that is your future husband?" _The girl with red hair asked, looking up at Aki as she sat back down.

Aki nodded. The girl with light blue hair looked over at him, **really **studying him for the first time. _"You were right. He does look quite plain."_

Aki nodded again. _"He's strong, though."_

"_I believe you, Aki. From what I saw of the fight yesterday, he seems to be able to hold his own, even when injured."_

"_He was scared halfway, through. Did you notice that?_" the redhead asked.

"_What do you mean?"_

"_When Chii remarked about his aura, his face paled and his eyes were fearful, even though he seemed to get stronger."_

"_Aki, do you know why that happened?" _the blue haired girl asked.

Aki paused, before sighing. _"He has a very powerful aura, much stronger than any one I've ever seen before. He doesn't like to use it, though."_

"_A powerful aura?" _the girl replied, running her fingers through her bangs, before rolling the ends in her fingers, staring at the boy with much renewed interest.

"_Don't even think about it, Ruby!" _Aki said much louder than she wanted to, drawing the attention of the room for a moment. After the Chinese girls quieted, people turned back to their own conversations. Aki paused, calming herself, before continuing._ "I promised I wouldn't try to draw out Sauske's aura anymore. And I don't want either of you to try."_

"_We will not hurt him, Aki." _the redhead replied.

"_That's not the problem. I made a promise to one of his friends that I wouldn't try anymore. If you go after him to get his aura out, she might think I sent you. I am asking you, as Amazons, to not fight him. Understand?"_

"_All right."_ the blue haired girl replied.

There was a pause. _"Sapphire?"_ Aki asked angrily, glaring at the redhead.

"_All right, I will not do anything either."_

-

Sauske walked out of the school, sighing, before continuing forward. It was an ordinary day, with mundane events. Nothing to really think about.

"I guess that's a good thing." Sauske muttered to himself, before walking over and jumping up onto the fence, keeping his slow, walking pace along it. "I guess that means there's nothing to worry about. It's kind of quiet around here, though. Sakura's always got Kendo practice after school, and I haven't had a sparring match with Keira or a battle with Naruto for a while." He glanced down at his left arm. "I guess that's a good thing."

All of a sudden, the boy heard a deep sigh. He glanced down onto the sidewalk, and saw a familiar dark blue color. "Aki?"

The girl paused, turning to the voice to see Sauske walking along the fence. "What?" she asked angrily, simply noting his presence before starting to walk along.

"What are you doing here?"

"Walking to meet Pai . . . at the bus stop." She began to walk a little faster. "What else . . . would I be doing?"

"I just didn't know." Sauske replied, hopping down from the fence and walking quickly to catch up with her.

-

"Where's my watering can?" the woman asked.

Her husband simply shook his head. "I don't know. Um . . . here, you can use this." he said, handing her a metal wash bucket.

-

"Why are you . . . following me?" Aki asked, glaring at Sauske.

The boy blinked. "This is the way I always walk home."

"Of course." she replied sarcastically.

"Was it something I said?"

"No." Aki replied firmly. "I would just prefer to be alone right now." she muttered, turning a corner to head for the stop where she met her sister at. The fence next to them disappeared, as the buildings rode right up to the edge of the sidewalk.

"SAUSKE!" a voice shouted.

Sauske and Aki looked up. Blond, spiked hair. Bright orange cargo pants. A orange jacket. A yellow and black spotted bandanna tied around his forehead. "Naruto?' Sauske replied calmly. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you think, stupid! It's time for us to fight!" Naruto shouted, shaking his fist in the boy's general direction.

Sauske opened his mouth, before something caught his eye. Namely, Aki walking defiantly forward. "A-Aki?"

"Naruto-kun!" Aki commanded, causing the boy to shift his attention to the Chinese girl. "I hope that doesn't mean . . . what I think it means."

Naruto blinked. "Uh . . . what do you think it means, Aki?"

"That you were about . . . to attack Sauske."

"Well, then . . . um, you're right?"

Aki gave him a dead-eye stare. "Did you happen to forget . . . that Sauske is injured?"

"Uh, . . . no?" Naruto replied dumbly.

Sauske walked up to Aki, who was still a few meters away from Naruto. "Aki, it's okay. I'm not really . . ."

WHAM!

Both Aki and Sauske just stared. "Sauske?" Aki asked, in a calm, confused tone.

"Yes, Aki?"

"Why did Naruto just . . . get crushed by a bucket?"

"Um . . . I don't know."

-

"Whoops." the woman said to nobody.

Her husband walked up. "What happened?"

"I was watering the plants by the window, and I dropped the bucket of water off the balcony onto the sidewalk."

"Oh, I'm sure that's not a problem." He said knowingly. "Just be a little more careful next time."

"Right!"

-

"SAUSKE-KUN!" Keira shouted cheerfully, landing next to the boy while wearing her full ninja outfit. "How are you?"

No response.

"Sauske-kun? Is something wrong?"

The boy nodded. "Um, Keira, . . . did you just see that?"

"See what?"

"See Naruto get crushed by a bucket of water?"

The girl looked ahead. There was a bucket, opening down, sitting in the middle of the sidewalk. Several familiar clothing items of Naruto could be seen sitting under it, and water was splashed all around on the sidewalk. "You mean, that bucket?" she asked, pointing at it.

"Yes." Sauske replied.

SCRIGGLE! The bucket began to shuffle down the sidewalk, away from the voices. The teens watched it go for a moment, before running towards it.

BAM! The bucket hit a lamp post, before pushing against it, unable to move itself around. Mainly because it couldn't see.

Sauske stopped, leaning down and grabbing the bucket. SCHWIP! He lifted the large metal pail into the air immediately, revealing the form underneath. There was a gasp. "Is that . . ."

Aki blinked. "What is that?"

"It's not a Tanuka, it's . . . a raccoon?" Keira replied.

The small, furry creature looked up. It had light tan fur, with several black stripes, a big, fluffy tail, whiskers, a yellow bandanna around its neck, and a black stripe across its eyes.

"It is a raccoon." Sauske replied.

Keira reached down, picking up the raccoon. Noticing who was doing so, it turned frozen in fear. "Naruto?"

The raccoon nodded gently. "Squeak!"

Keira blinked a couple of times. "So, that's what . . . your curse is? Raccoon?"

Naruto nodded again.

Sauske stood up. Staring for a moment, rubbing the back of his head, he then sighed. "Well, that was . . ."

VROOOM! A large city bus drove by.

"_OH NO!" _Aki shouted, suddenly taking off. _"I almost forgot again! PAI!"_

Sauske and Keira glanced between each other, before running over, grabbing Naruto's clothes, and running down the street after her, carrying the raccoon along.

-

"So, here we are." he muttered to himself in the dark dusk. He had to be, nobody else was around. "Tokyo. If what people have told us is right, the person we're looking for is here."

"What is the plan?" A voice from nowhere said. It's source was invisible to the eye.

He paused, before licking his chopswith a SMACK! "A reputation. That's what I'll need." He sighed. "But we need to get set up first. We can work on that in a couple days."

"Understood."

Next Chapter: Two fights for different reasons: Chidori at the Rhythmic Gymnastics meet, and Akane in defense of her own dojo.

* * *

And that's the end of chapter thirty! Again, it's out extremely late. I'm sorry it took so long, but it's here! I feel like I'm getting back in the groove, so the story should be going along fine for a while. The next chapter's going to be great, too, and I think, despite the fact that it was a mix of two chapters (the last one was just part of it's original chapter), it turned out okay. Hopefully, I was right. 

And,I just realized that took away the ability to write a ? and ! together. So, I'm sorry if the story doesn't look right.

Anyway, on with the reviews:

nonengle: Well, Chii got away easy because Aki had to run to find Pai. As for Tenchuu's actions, the reason is my own theory on Amazons. It's simple. If a girl was born first, her parents would expect herto watch over all her younger brothers and sisters, right? Well, if the first born was a boy, in this case Tenchuu, he would still be expected to look over his younger brothers and sisters. But, since the girls are above boys in Amazon culture, once they become mature, his job, instead of taking care of his younger siblings, is that he's supposed to protect them, but not be in charge. He's more of a bodyguard for Aki than an than actually having a ruling role over her, constantly reminding her what she nees to do but not actually able to control her without her consent. Well, that's whatI meant it to be. I hope that makes sense.

Oh, and yes, he will be playing a large role soon.

Drkjester: YAY! Another reviewer who likes my story! Thank you! As for the possibility of forgetting about Happosai's apprentice, that's sort of the point. Good writing often puts ideas and actions forward at the beginning, let them be forgotten, the bring them back to solve a problem (Like the horn whistle Akane gets from Shinnosuke, which dissapeares in the middle, then returns to defeat the Orochi). It makes for a good surprise without becoming a random solution to the problems. They'll be back, but I'll be honest. It won't be a few chapters from now. There's some important events which have to happen first, which means it will be a while. So, you'll just have to remember.

Paige C: Thank you for the kind words. I'm glad last chapter wasn't as bad as I thought it was. And yes, you're right. Aki and her brothers haven't really talked much during the story. But Chii and Tenchuu are really going to be a major part of the story in the next few chapters. Especially Chii. So, keep an eye on the Amazon brothers. They've got some interesting quirks that will come out soon.

The Liz: YAY! The fights are good! That's what I always love to hear. And it's good to know the characters seem more real; that's what I'm shooting for.


	31. Takedown

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma 1/2_, nor claim to.

Chapter Thirty One: Takedown:

"Back off, I'll take you on! Headstrong, to take on anyone! I know that you are wrong! Headstrong, we're headstrong!" Trapt: _Headstrong_

"So where is he?" Sakura asked, looking over at Yanagi, the equipment manager.

The girl sighed. "He went off to see the Rhythmic Gymnastics meet in the gym. His father went with him."

Sakura sighed, buttoning her coat higher up and gripping the sword tighter. "And that's why . . ."

"Yes, they needed the gym." Yanagi replied, swinging her scarf back around her neck.

Sakura felt her hair flip back, pulled by the air. "It would be better if there wasn't any wind."

"What do you expect me to do about it? It's not my fault. They wouldn't even let me take some other room, and I've got connections. The school's too jived up for that gymnastics meet. I don't see why, if you ask me."

"You don't like it?"

Yanagi shook her head. "Gymnastics are fun, but . . . martial arts rhythmic gymnastics? I bet it's just a bunch of girls twirling ribbons around for fun. No reason for the actiony title of 'martial arts' on the front. I'd rather be at Kendo practice."

"You like to see guys beat each other with sticks?"

Yanagi groaned. "Fine, I'll admit it. I like samurai movies, okay? Let's not forget you're a girl going around beating other guys up with sticks."

"Touche." Sakura muttered, stepping into a fighting stance. She began some slow, gentle practice swings. "So, would you rather this was by the sea, then?"

"Ha ha ha." Yanagi muttered dryly in reply. "At least the rest of them are coming."

Sakura paused, glancing over her shoulder. And then staring. "Um . . . Yanagi?"

"Yes?"

"Why are there only three of them?"

Yanagi began muttering quietly to herself. "First you complain about the fact we're outside, then that Kuno's not here, then that there's only three of them."

"What was that?"

Clearing her throat, she looked up at Sakura, flicking her scarf back around her neck, since the wind whipped it undone again. "Nothing. Keigo had made a promise to not miss a practice for a whole year, since he missed about half of them over the last two years, Chad's training to try and beat Kuno, and Ruika made Mizuiro go today."

"Made him? Why?" Sakura asked, blinking. "And why didn't anyone else show up? Ichigo's way more devoted to Kendo club that Keigo. Why wouldn't he show up?"

"Well, Kagura's sick today, which is why she's out. As for the guys, it's simple." Yanagi muttered, flicking her scarf back around her neck **again**. "What's at a rhythmic gymnastics meet that would make a flock of hardened jocks go without blinking? And make Ruika force her boyfriend to go to Kendo practice?"

Sakura paused, thinking. Suddenly, it dawned on her. She glanced at Yanagi.

The manager nodded solemnly.

Both of them sighed, saying, "Athletic girls in tight leotards. Typical." together.

-

"Where is she?" Kagome muttered to herself, glancing at the last few people stepping into the room and walking to the bleachers. "She was supposed to be here by now. The meet is about to start."

Down at the center of the gym, a large, square ring was set up. The ring floor was a good meter above the ground, with another meter and a half tall set of ropes around the side. They were a bit springy, colored a dark blue, with a lighter blue for the mat. Along the outside, there were several referees circling, a few assistants gathering the piles of tools, including clubs, ribbons, balls, and hoops, and a team of girls on opposing sides. At the far side of the ring, relative to where Kagome was sitting, was the announcer's table, and beyond that were more bleachers where most of the fans from St. Bacchus sat.

The ambient noise was the gentle murmur of a crowd on edge, running lower and lower on patience as the start time inched closer.

"Where is she!" Kagome muttered louder, still watching the entrance.

-

"ENOUGH, NARUTO!" Keira shouted, stomping down on the boy's head, crushing him into the ground. The boy gurgled, before Keira jumped up off him, landed on the fence, and took off running. "SEE YOU LATER, SAUSKE-KUN!" And then, she was gone.

Sauske watched her friend go, before sighing. "I wonder what she's in such a rush to go to?" Glancing back at his defeated opponent, he saw Naruto. His face was impaled in the pavement, with spiderweb cracks all around him. Sauske winced at the sight. Slowly, he walked over, leaning down and peeling the boy out of the sidewalk.

He sighed, shaking his head. "I guess I have to get you to Uncle's, Naruto. Next time, make sure Keira doesn't pass by when you attack."

-

Akane smiled, sitting in her dojo. She never got tired of thinking that. Her dojo. HER dojo. Her DOJO. Heeeeer doooooooojooooooo. Even after all these years, the love hadn't died. Sure, Ranma was still much better than her and did most of the advanced training classes and had brought in more than two thirds of their students and was teaching her, **but **. . . technically, it was hers.

And, whenever Ranma wasn't around, she was in charge.

Of course, there was nobody here right now to be in charge of. There was nobody here, period. It was Wednesday; basic class. Ranma told them to go to the park down the road, and he had just left for there two minutes ago. Sprinting practice. She didn't need to be there. Nabiki and Brandon were still at work, and Auska, Amy, and Joseph wouldn't return for another twenty minutes or so. Sakura had Kendo practice, and Sauske would probably go spend time with Keira or Aki or Naruto. Nothing for her to bother with. So, she sat, meditating in her own little slice of freedom.

It was **her** dojo.

She smiled.

"So, this must be it." A voice muttered. Akane's eyes cracked open. " 'Tendo School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts'. Yep, this is the place."

Akane's eyes were open fully now. A hand appeared on the door frame to the outside. "Who is it?" She asked calmly. The voice didn't seem familiar. Then again, that made more sense; if it was a familiar voice, why would the not be sure if this was the dojo?

There was a pause, before the hand swung the door open. The thin frame rattled as it slammed against the support beam jutting from the wall. There stood a man, tall, with tan skin and dark, brown hair in about as clean a form as Sauske kept his hair; no, it was even messier than that. There was a traveling pack slung over his shoulder, with several wood signs tied to it. Akane recognized them as local dojos. Not just ordinary ones. The best ones in the city. After her's and the Saotome dojo, of course.

"Can I help you?" Akane asked politely, remaining seated. It was obvious from his body language what he was here for, if the signs didn't give it away already. He stood, smugly and proudly, leaning against the wall, a confident smile on his lips.

The man stepped up into the room, glancing around. "I'm here for the sign." He muttered calmly. "Although, I don't expect to just be given it."

-

"She's still not here!" Kagome muttered angrily.

"And the final fight will be Kinomoto Kaorin versus Daidouji Sakaki!" The announcer read, as names were written up on boards next to number eight.

"Damn, hurry up!" Kagome continued muttering. " If you don't, you'll . . . KEIRA!" She shouted, which, fortunately, drew the attention of the girl as she rushed in. She raced around, bounding up the steps, and sliding past other spectators as she ran to her friend. "You just barely made it!"

"Sorry, I had to stomp down Naruto before I came." Keira replied apologetically, straigthening her stray hairs which had been loosened by the wind. "What do you mean, barely?"

"Just listen!"

"The first fight will now commence!" The announcer began. "Mihama Chidori versus Kuno Kukri!"

The crowd exploded in cheers, from both sides. The St. Bacchu's side especially.

"Go Chidori!"

"You can win!"

Not to say two girls on the Furinkan side weren't equally loud.

-

Jumping up, placing one foot on the edge of the platform, and then hopping over the ropes, Chidori landed softly on the mats. There was her opponent, standing across from her already. Black hair, black leotard, and a black . . . rose, it looked like, resting behind her ear. She was short, maybe an inch below Keira, and her face was slightly more pointed than normal, with clearer cheekbones than most people she knew. Her hair was in a single ponytail, held with a blue bow at the back of her head.

The face was stern and stoic. Her pallid green eyes stared calmly at Chidori, examining the girl without emotion. There was something very ominous about her, standing the way she did, wearing the black leotard. Her bare arms and legs showed smooth skin, but no real muscle. She seemed quite . . . ordinary.

But the dark feeling didn't leave. Maybe it was the fact that the whole St. Bacchus crowed cheered louder than ever when she went into the ring. The rest of her teammates were watching Kukri with total interest. Her team was watching too, but they had to stretch and warm up. Matches would have no delays between them. There were too many to get through for that to happen. But none of Kukri's team seemed to think about that. They were all focused on the fight.

-

"Simpleton." was her calm thought when she heard that her opponent would be a girl named Mihama Chidori. She was only a sophomore student, and, from what hse had been told, she was only a member of the rhythmic gymnastics team for a few days. At first glance, it seemed like a waste of her time. She wanted a challenge. Seniors, the captain, someone worth the match.

Although, when this Chidori came into the ring, several seconds after she was up, she did it in a difficult way. One jump up, then another easy jump over the ropes. She didn't bend, climb, lean, or slide up. Very few people could do that so quickly off such a thin piece of the platform. She appeared to have good balance and grace. A promising beginning, which improved the Kuno's mood considerably.

Her face was quite common. Rounded cheeks, small nose, grayish-blue eyes; nothing too unusual. Her hair was set with most of it tied back in a short ponytail, with a large strand rolling down each side of her face, turning from black at the roots to a dark brown at the tips.

Her body was a bit less feminine than common, however. Her hips and shoulders were a little more squared off, accentuated by the light blue leotard, and her chest was nothing to be desired. There, but less than ordinary. However, that wasn't Kukri's primary concern; leave beauty out of this. Her arms and legs showed something more interesting. The muscles, while not as prominent as it was on members of other sport, were visible, clearly defined, and quite well toned. Maybe they weren't very strong, but they **were** **there**. Better than what most gymnasts could show off.

This might be more interesting than she thought. The girl seemed to have some strength to her. Maybe taking part in the scrimmage meet was a good idea after all.

-

"Yoh!" Keira shouted, waving to the boy as he walked up the steps. His eyes turned, spotting the two girls, before he walked up the last two steps to their level, slipped past the five people already sitting down, and dropped down into the space between the girls. "You did make it!"

"Of course!" He said with a smile, pulling the headphones from his ears and pressing the stop button through the fabric of his jacket. "Why would I miss Chidori's first meet?"

"You almost did." Kagome replied. "She's just about to go. Look, she's already in the ring!" she pointed to the girl in the ring.

Yoh looked out, smiling. "I just hope I helped her. I didn't have much time to teach her, you know. Come to think of it . . . how come she asked me to train her?" The boy mused. "After all, you would know more about this, Keira. Ninja's due use a lot of tools. And I'm not much of a gymnast."

"Umm . . ." Keira mumbled, before the idea, and the facts, came to her. "It's a different kinds of tools, Yoh. All the stuff she's going to use is gymnastics equipment, just made tougher to stand up to fighting." Keira brushed back another loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I use throwing knives and swords. It's not the right kind of use for the tools." She frowned. "Besides, I hate hoops."

Yoh blinked, staring at the brown-haired girl. Kagome sighed, tapping the boy on the shoulder. He glanced back at her quizzically. "She's never been able to use a hula hoop."

Keira's face blushed and darkened at the same time. "Shut up."

-

Akane nodded. "I see. And you are right, I cannot just **give** you that sign. In fact, you can't take it at all. I'm sorry."

"Then I, Sagura Hatsuharu, challenge you for it!" He said, before pausing, looking at the woman. "Wait a minute . . . who are you!"

Akane blinked, before slowly rousing herself from the sitting position. "My name is Tendo Akane. I am . . ."

"A woman!" Hatsuharu shouted. "Wait . . . you're not the dojo master, are you!" He sighed. "Not again! I don't want to have to wait here a week for someone who's a challenge to show up! Why can't they ever be there when I arrive for a change!"

"A-hem!" Akane said, brushing off her gi pants. "I am **Tendo** Akane, and if you want the sign, you will fight **me** for it. Understand?"

The man turned back. "Really?" He asked slyly. "You sure about that?"

"Don't underestimate me. This school is **my **school."

He snorted, placing his bag on the ground outside, before stepping further into the dojo. "And don't underestimate me. I don't kickbox for the chicks, you know."

Akane snapped her belt tighter. "Fine then. But you still fight me."

Hatsuharu smiled, taking another two steps in. He brushed his plain white T-shirt, full of small holes from wear and tear, before scratching his chin with the back of his hand. They were both wrapped tightly, from elbow to the palm, with a thick, dusty gauze, and his feet, which were bare, had also been wrapped from the bottom of the foot to the knee. His shorts looked nylon, colored bright orange and yellow, obvious kickboxer gear, which reached down to just above his knees.

"Well, you certainly **look **like a kickboxer." Akane observed, before raising her hands up into the standard fighting stance, both wrists equal with her mouth.

"I play the part even better than I look it." The man replied.

Akane didn't blink. "Then why don't you go ahead and show me!"

-

"Ready? Begin!" The referee shouted. The crowd exploded in cheers.

Neither gymnast moved. "You're the real Kuno Kukri?" Chidori asked calmly.

"Yes, I am. What does it mean to you?"

"From what I heard, you're the best freshman on the team. Better than everyone on the team."

Kukri nodded. "You're right."

Chidori smiled. "Then what do you say: why don't we skip playing around and give everyone a fight to remember? Start the season with a bang?"

Kukri returned that smile. "If you want me to."

"I'm ready for anything you've got."

"You might regret those words." The Kuno's face turned stern. "I don't know how to hold back once a real fight starts."

Chidori turned to her side. "ROPE!" The braided cord flew threw the air, caught absentmindedly by the girl from Furinken. "Don't worry. I won't."

"Ribbon!" A long strand of red ribbon, attached to a thin, stiff wire, floated over, landing precisely in Kukri's fingers. "Then don't blame me if you are out of the season after your first fight. Or if something happens to that beautiful face of yours."

"Bring it on!" Chidori shouted, running in. "I said it would be great! But don't expect the fight to be long!" The girl skipped back and forth as she ran, zig zagging across the mats.

Kukri began to run in towards the center, although much slower. She began spinning her hand in small circles. Suddenly, she stopped, swinging her right hand up, holding the ribbon, the circles being drawn faster and faster. The ribbon did the rest.

It flew around, intimidating in size, reaching three meters in diameter. And it wasn't just decoration. As Chidori neared, the ribbon was twisting to be directly in her path. The first one slipped past her, slicing the cloth of her leotard on the shoulder, but nothing more. That's when the rope came in handy. Holding it between her hands like a bar, she deflected away the ribbon, continuing in.

Kukri changed her strategy in a heartbeat. Her wrist stopped the circles, redirecting the ribbon. It flew immediately towards the rope. Wrapping around it as she said, "Re . . ."

"RIBBON!" Chirdoir screamed without pause, stopping her run.

". . . member!" Kukri shouted, unable to stop her own action as she ripped the rope away. She was planning to lose her weapon!

The ribbon in hand a instant later, Chidori skipped the ceremonious twirls, instead lashing out and catching one of the girl's ankle's. With a flick up and then down, the wave cascaded along, kicking the girl into the air. The ribbon let go of her ankle, allowing her to float freely towards the edge of the ring.

Flipping in air calmly, Kukri landed her feet on the ropes, bending them down several centimeters, before jumping back into the air, twisting around and flipping again, before landing flat on the ring floor.

The crowd burst out in cheers.

"Not bad." Kukri replied to a shocked and surprised Chidori.

"H-how did she do that?" Chidori asked herself in her head.

"But the better move is this."

SNAP! The ribbon shot out, catching the confused, brown haired girl on the arm, wrapping tightly, before the whole ribbon was held taunt by Kukri. Chidori reached over to try and pull it off, shocked more. "Nuh uh uh." Kukri chided, before swinging her arm to the side. "I can't let you do that." The ribbon twirled once, wrapping around the gymnast completely, before she yanked it, letting the ribbon release, causing Chidori to spin around out of control, as the Kuno continued her assault. The ribbon shot back into the pile of tools, wrapping around a hoop, before snapping forward. Right towards Kukri's knees.

With a hop and a midair split, the hoop passed effortlessly underneath her. The ribbon caught on the back of her leg, snapping tight, and releasing the hoop on it's own. Kukri sent the ribbon somewhere else as she landed on the ground again.

-

"If that's what you want!" he shouted, running ahead.

Akane clenched her teeth, watching him bolt forward. He had to cover most of the dojo, so an all out sprint was a disadvantage. The point would probably have been to surprise her and put her off guard, but from this distance, it was worthless. By the time he reached her, she would be more than ready.

"Eat this!" he hopped, switching feet by twisting his body, then kicking out with his right foot, shoulder level, in a straight roundhouse attack. Akane twisted in time, forcing her arms across each other to take the brunt of the kick. There was a loud SMACK! of his foot on her arm, which caused Akane to grimace, before she realized that he was already moving. Her arms dropped lower, as his foot swung out and then back in towards her, a quarter meter lower. SMACK! His knee moved again, this time rising, before swinging again.

SWISH! Hatsuharu stared at the empty space as the woman dropped from sight. After a moment, once his foot had swung through where her head had been, she stood back up, stepped in a meter, and shot out her fist. "HURK!" the man gargled, crumpling under the force of her fist, before stepping back.

"Like I said, you can't have the sign." Akane replied, watching the man stumble back, hunched and injured. "It's over."

Hatsuharu suddenly stopped. "Heh . . . heh heh. Ha ha ha!" he continued laughing, slowly standing upright without problem. "Chill it, chick! You know, you're just like an ox. Strong and slow and **stupid**!" Akane glared angrily. "You think I would have won all those dojo signs if one hit could take me down! Ha! Yeah right!"

Akane grimaced more. "So, I guess I'm going to have to hurt you."

"Ranma? Are you serious? That's kind of . . . dumb." Akane said quietly. It was nice to **finally** be back to training, having recovered from her sickness after Sauske's birth, but this was . . . weird.

Ranma shook her head. "It's invaluable. Confidence is a big part of a fight! Ya gottah' play their weaknesses, okay? Throwin' down a gamble or a challenge ya can win is invaluable, and crushing their spirit works good too! And confusion! As long as you don't put all your work into it, stop fighitn' right, and get overconfident, taunts can change the way fights end!"

Akane sighed. She was just glad that Nabiki had taken the kids to visit with Kasumi and Ono. They might get the wrong idea if they saw what she was expecting this to devolve into. "All right, if you say so."

"Hit me with your best shot, 'Kane-chan!" Ranma said confidently. Akane nodded, thinking. Several seconds passed. "Akane, stop." The woman looked up. "Don't think, just do. You won't have time to plan it out too much, and don't hold back . . . Just let it flow, okay?"

"If you say so." the woman replied, staring at the other woman in front of her.

"Do your worst!" Ranma replied smugly, staring her down. The training had already started. The question was, could Akane meet the challenge?

"Okay." She replied, nodding again and pausing only a moment this time. "So, Ranma, how many times have you gone and (Author's note: This section had to be eliminated to keep the chapter PG-13)?"

Ranma stared at her wife, mouth hanging open, pure shock written all over her face.

There was a long pause.

Akane stood waiting, before tapping her foot.

A second later, Ranma flushed red. "Okay, Akane, you got the basics down. Now . . . I'm going to get some hot water." She turned, heading for the door.

"Or a guy?" Akane chipped in. Ranma paused, shuddered, her red pigtail flipping around as she shook her head, then walked out. Akane smiled. "I win, Ranma!"

"Hurt me? You couldn't do that if you tried!" The man shouted, jumping forward with a side kick.

Akane slid aside. "I can beat you in **three hits**!" she screamed, before jamming her elbow into his chest. He slipped back again, coughing. "Two to go!"

"I'd like to see you try!" the man straightened, hopped two steps to the side, then stepped in. "Try this!"

Akane moved to block, when she realized it was too late. His hands moved like lighting. Left hook to the chest. Right hook to the shoulder. Body blow with the left side of her stomach. Uppercut to the chin. Straight blow to her face. And then, Akane was sailing across the room.

WHAM! She hit the wall and fell to the floor with a loud CRASH! She gasped for air, her whole front racked with agony. Her eyes slipped open to see his smiling face. "Had enough, chick?"

Akane shook her head, slowly rising to her feet. "I still have to hit you twice more." Akane muttered, raising her hands, as well as lifting her body up on the balls of her feet. She had to move the instant he swung if she wanted to get past another assault like that. It was too fast for her, and she knew it.

-

FWIP! The hoop smashed into the front of Chidori's legs at high speed. WHAM! With a flip and a drop, the girl crashed down, face first, into the mats. She groaned, feeling a burning pain where her cheek hit, the first part of her body to land, before feeling a dull sting as her whole body flopped onto the floor flat. WHAP! "GAAAH!" she shouted.

The rope, which had been so carelessly left aside, was just snapped down on her back. "Hopefully, you'll remember to hold on to your tools now."

Chidori just growled, standing up as Kukri backed away, although she could feel the burning sting in her back. Her rise was slow, but her face was hardened. She had a new plan. And this one would work. There was no way it wouldn't.

-

Yoh clenched his teeth. "Come on, Chidori, move and strike back! Don't lose your focus! Don't miss a chance for a counterattack!"

"How did she miss that?" Kagome asked.

Yoh dropped his hands a bit. "I should have taught her more. We worked on all the tools, but I thought she already knew enough gymnastics. She needs to start dodging things. She's very stationary, using martial arts over gymnastics. If she stays still like that, she will get in trouble."

The two girls simply nodded, the three of them staring at their friend, worry on their mind.

-

"HOOP!" CLICK! Chidori grasped the ring tightly, staring down her opponent. "Hold on to this!" She released the ring forward. Kukri bent her knees, preparing to jump. Perfect. "BALL!" she shouted, her hand pointing up.

Kukri was already propelling herself up when she saw the large red ball get thrown high into the air, and then Chidori leaping up after it. She was high up, probably used the ropes for a boost, the same height as the ball. And there she was, over the hoop safely, which had swished underneath her legs and through the ropes, but now immobile. Maybe Chidori was improving.

"Or this!" Chidori shouted, spiking the ball straight at Kukri. WHAP! Direct hit. The girl was hit square in the nose, blowing her back **over** the ropes, flipping away.

Kukri swung her legs higher, forcing her spin to go faster. As she passed over the ropes, her body was now parallel to the ground, face down. Her hands snapped out, catching the top rope, before pulling her in. Her body stopped sliding away, and simply went down. She swung in her legs, before pulling herself back into the ring at the floor level.

Chidori watched in horror as her opponent slid along the ground under the bottom rope, before flipping herself back onto her feet. "That hurt!" Kukri shouted, rubbing her nose, before glancing up. It hadn't made it down yet. She jumped back, landing on the top rope, before jumping further up and forward.

WHAP! Chidori stood watching as the ball was spiked back at her. "CLUBS!" She could here the shout of agreement, but the ball raced in. There they were, in the corner of her eye, spinning towards her. She put out her hands. It was too late! It was . . .

WHAP! The club head smashed the ball away safely. Chidori clenched her teeth, turning back to her opponent. "Ribbon!" Kukri shouted. Chidori didn't hesitate. No time to let her get the ribbon.

"I don't think so!" She shouted, throwing the clubs ahead of herself.

'What did I say?" Kukri replied, ignoring the incoming ribbon. The clubs shot forward. Far too easy. They were spaced apart about thirty centimeters, at shoulder height, barreling together evenly. Child's play, really.

Rolling her right shoulder fluidly forward, and letting her left one do the opposite backwards, her knees lowered down and her head turned up. The clubs whizzed by, slipping past her smooth neck without problem. Then, she reversed, rolling her body back up to her standing position. A simple dodge, really.

Chidori, and most of the crowd, though, gasped anyway.

-

"What the hell was that!" Keira shouted. "I've . . . I've never seen anyone bend like that!"

"It's insane!" Kagome shouted.

Yoh stared in horror. "Oh god, this is bad!" He gulped. "Please, let her give up or get knocked out before she gets hurt."

"W-what!" Kagome asked, Keira about to say the same thing.

"Why!" Keira asked instead.

"Look at what happened! Chidori just threw two clubs at, what . . . twenty five kilometers per hour! And that girl just dodged it without even moving her **feet**! She dodged it by letting them shoot past her **neck**! Chidori won't be able to land any solid hit on her beyond that ball attack she did anymore. It'll miss, for sure!"

"Uh oh." Keira muttered softly, her face draining as she turned back to the fight.

"That's not the only reason." Yoh muttered. "That Kuno looks like the kind of girl who will keep attacking until the fights over. And those weapons can be vicious"

They all gulped.

It was definitely going from bad to worse.

"We have to believe in her!" Kagome shouted.

The other two nodded, chorusing "Right!" loudly, but the conviction was losing grip on all of them.

-

Kukri grabbed the ribbon bar with her toe, tossing it up to her hand. "It's over."

"Never!" Chidori replied, trying to come up with a new plan.

"Then you're going to be in a lot of pain!" The gymnast ran forward, stopping several meters away, the ribbon already twirling towards Chidori. "If you don't move like a gymnast, you get hurt. If you never move, you get destroyed!"

She gasped, then turned her head to shout out. "CLU – URK!"

SHING! SHING! SHING! The ribbon sliced the air, whirling around like a tornado. The announcer counted furiously in the background. It was around one hundred when Chidori finally cleaved the ribbon aside with her new clubs that had been tossed to her.

The girl spread her feet, gasping for breath. Her leotard was tatteredd, there wer e a few cuts on her face, and the pain had been magnified several times over. Her hands gripped the club shafts tighter, though. And her eyes were steel.

-

"Then try this!" the tan fighter shouted, running up. His fist swung back, a faint orange glow around it. Akane hadn't seen him use a battle aura, so it must be a technique. "SETSUNA!" he shouted, singing his right hand forward. The orange glow burst forward, trailing along his arm and swinging out in front of him.

BOOM! CRASH! The wall exploded, throwing splinters everywhere. Akane, however, was not in the blast. She was a meter away, quite safe, facing his side. Hatsuharu turned immediately to see her. Akane grinned. "Oh, I'm sorry. Were you trying to hit me?"

He glared, before sighing. "Well, what did you think of it? Setsuna. The "Flash Flame Fist"! Pretty hot, huh?"

"It's the only part of you that is." Akane snapped.

His eye twitched. "Really?" he muttered. "Then enjoy it before it get's cold!" he shouted, charging his hand with energy again, rushing forward at the woman.

-

"CLUBS!" Kukri shouted, before spinning, catching the two weapons, and returning to her original pose in a second, the ribbon draped at her feet. "Done?"

"NO WAY!"

"Fine." Kukri let her arms swing around, before running in to striking distance. Her head rolled aside as Chidori tried a thrust attack, which missed by a great distance. "The Blow of A Thousand Hands!"

WH-WH-WH-WH-WH-WH-WH-WH-WH-WHAP! The rapid thumps could be heard all throughout the room, before a loud CRACK! was heard as Chidori flung one of her weapons around, knocking away a club from Kukri's hand. The other girl jumped back, twirling the other one had in her hand, letting the first bounce away along the room floor. So simple. The challenge was already gone. It was like shooting fish in a barrel. Or, in this case, a brick.

Chidori slumped a bit, her knees buckling and her upper body leaning forward, deep, rapid, and rough coughs coming from her. It hurt so much. Those rapid club blows . . . what was she supposed to do to deal with that? Deep splotches of pain mixed with thin ribbon cuts was all she could think of. Then, she saw her opponent, and her desire to win resurfaced fully.

"Done yet?"

"I . . . said . . . NO!"

-

"Chidori!" Kagome whimpered, staring at her friend. There were bruises all over her, her leotard was barely above tatters, and she looked to be in more pain than her body could even feel at one time.

Yoh let his shoulders drop. "She won't give up." He muttered to himself, but loud enough for the girls to hear. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have trained her. Then she wouldn't have forced herself into a problem like this. Now . . . look at her. It's all my fault."

"That's not true!" Kagome muttered. "Chidori never gives up! You know that, don't you? She never loses without sticking it out to the end. She's too stubborn to fall down and stay down. That's why I've always respected her; she just doesn't give up until she can't keep going! And she knows she can win if she keeps trying!"

"Can't she just get called out?" Keira asked angrily, the fear that was welling up converting to hatred in her voice while her hands clenched tightly into fists.

Yoh shook his head. "No. Only if she's unconscious, knocked out of the ring, or surrenders. As long as Kukri doesn't brutalize her, it's all fair until one of those happens. The judges can't pull her out."

"How is that not brutal! She smashed her forty times with clubs and shredded her leotard with that ribbon!"

"That's not what I meant. According to the rules, brutalizing is constantly attacking a far weaker opponent. As long as Kuno keeps pausing and asking if she's finished, giving her a chance to give up, it doesn't matter how much she does."

-

"Here it comes." Akane thought, swinging her hand back. If she could slip by, she could smash him right in the face. It would be a definite takedown.

"Hope you're ready!"

"SAME TO YOU!" Akane shouted, stepping slightly to the side, swinging out with her right hand. She could feel her knuckles impact his face. Good.

She then felt a huge surge of energy in her stomach. Bad.

Very bad.

WHAM! Akane smashed into the wall along the entry side of the dojo, ten meters from where she was standing a moment ago, near the panels the fighter had walked in moments before. She dropped to the ground again, her mind a flood of torment. It felt like her gut was on fire. She looked up to see the only good news.

Her punch had done more than made contact. It had made the follow through too. He was several meters behind where he was when Akane hit him, his lip bleeding, and a faint black-and-blue mark forming on his cheek. His breath was ragged, but steady. Akane mentally chided herself for being so careless as she stood.

"One more." He muttered. Akane refocused her eyes on him. "You said you'd beat me in three more hits, right? You've already done two. And none of your punches will take me down." he grinned. "They'd need to be . . . ten times more powerful to do that!"

"Ten times?" Akane asked, before running to the side, which the man copied. They stopped, realigned with the main area of the dojo. On opposite sides. Akane was set with her back to the open doors, and Hatsuharu stood in front of the nameplates. "Ha! You could have asked me to do something thirty times more powerful, and I'd come through easily. But only ten? You butt's toast if that's all you can take!" Akane smirked evilly. "My last hit's always a doozy!"

-

"All right then." Kukri replied, grabbing her ribbon again.

Despite her injuries, Chidori stood as firm as she could. She wouldn't give up. Yoh had done so much for her, taken so much time for her training. She didn't want to let him down. She would do whatever it took to make him proud of her! Her hands clenched on the clubs. "I'm not afraid!"

Kukri sighed. The girl still didn't get it. She didn't move. And that completely defeated the point of rhytmic gymnastics. She was fast, but not mobile, and she trusted too much in her strength and techniques. The Kuno swung her ribbon around, snapping it in front of her. "Then you can 'have this'!"

Chidori looked on in shock as her clubs were snatched out of her hand by the ribbon, swung around, and then re-released back at her. CRACK! "AAAGH!" Chidori shouted, the first club smashing into her kneecap. She crumpled down onto one knee. CRACK! "WAAAAAAHHH!" she screamed again, the second club smacking in the center of her forehead. The girl fell backwards, collapsing onto the ground.

"Is that enough?"

-

"Stay down, Chidori." Yoh muttered, listening for anything. "Please stay down! Don't hurt yourself anymore!"

They watched in horror as the girl leaned up. "I'm not finished."

Keira immediately stood up. "K-Keira?" Kagome stuttered, looking up at her friend. Her face was stiff and cold, suddenly stern. "Keira, what are you doing!"

It was too late, she was gone.

-

"Then we go on!" Kukri shouted, swinging the ribbon in large arcs. It flew up high, before she whipped it down.

SNAP! Kukri suddenly stumbled forward, her ribbon pulled. She stopped herself, the looked up. There was a girl with a T-shirt and jeans standing in front of her opponent. The ribbon was wrapped tightly around her hand, and the fingers held it there. Her face glared back at her, the eyes vengeful and hating.

Suddenly, her expression brightened. "That's enough, okay?"

Kukri blinked. "What do you mean?"

"You won." Keira said calmly. "There's no need for more. Besides, I'm sure your team is waiting quite patiently for their turn. Chidori forfeits."

"K-keira!" Chidori muttered behind her. "I'm . . ."

"Yes, you do." Keira replied, letting the ribbon slide off her hand. "Come on, you're hurt. Let's get you to the nurse's office. Yoh's really worried about you." She helped her friend sit up better.

Chidori suddenly coughed loudly, then grimaced in pain. Did her body really sting that much? "O-okay." She murmured, slowly standing up. The girl was slipped down from the ring with the help of Kagome and Yoh, and the three of them walked Chidori down the halls.

-

"Show me what you got!" Hatsuharu shouted, racing forward. He charged the orange energy into his hand. Time for another Setsuna.

Akane ran forward as well. "More than you do!"

"Confident?"

"Of course!" Akane shouted.

"SETSUNA!"

BOOM! SKISSH! Akane slid around as the Setsuna blast fired, missing her completely. She began running past him, spinning. Hatsuharu didn't ignore that, twisting with a backwards roundhouse. Akane ducked, letting the foot swish over her head. "Goodbye!"

Hatsuharu sneered. "What are you going to do! Huh!" He stopped sneering when he noticed her hands clamped together on her left side. A faint glow of light could be seen. Suddenly, her hands swung forward, opening up. And there was the light source. A ball of energy.

"MOKO TAKABISHI!"

BOOOOM! "GAAAAAAHHHH!" Hatsuharu was blown back out the open doorway, before collapsing onto the ground, rolling over several times before he stopped, faint trails of smoke coming off of him. He gurgled before his mind faded to blank.

"Well, I told you so." Akane muttered, still holding the position she fired the shot from. "Now do you see why you can't have the sign?"

There was another faint gurgle, but nothing else.

Akane stood up, walking to the gate. "Well, thanks for stopping by!" She said with a smile. SLAM! The doors to the dojo rattled as she slammed them shut.

She did it!

She used the Moko Takabishi in combat perfectly!

Now she could start working on the other moves!

Right after she called Ono to get the prone man outside a hospital stay.

-

"How is she?" Mayu asked, walking up. She had seen the whole fight. It was the first one, and the eighth one finished as she left. Chidori looked bad when she had left, bruises and cuts on her face and body.

Keira and Kagome both turned to see the blond girl approach. Keira sighed. "She's okay. She was hurt really bad, but okay. Yoh's in there with her right now."

"Oh, sorry to hear that."

"How did the rest of the meet go?"

"St. Bacchus won by three points. But the two Furinkan seniors crushed their opponents in seconds."

"So, she's healthy?"

Keira cringed at that voice. Mayu, Kagome, and the ninja all turned to see her, standing there ominously. "What do you want?"

Kuno Kukri stood firm, ignoring the death glare from the Kuonji. "I came to see if my opponent is all right."

Keira huffed, turning away. "Like you care."

The girl from St. Bacchus, brushing her windbreaker jacket that was covering her leotard with her free hand, shrugged. "No, not really." He let her hand drop, adjusting the grip on the duffel bag at her side in her other hand, before turning. "It's simply the proper thing to do. So . . . goodbye."

"Look, a heartless, violent girl." Keira muttered under her breath.

She stopped. "All she had to do was say she was finished, and I would have stopped. If I'm violent, she's obstinate. She only has herself to blame for her own injuries. That, and she's slow. Until she's a better gymnast, she better learn to give up when she's lost. Or heal faster."

Keira glared angrily.

"And, I'm not heartless. I just know my own limits." She continued to walk away. "I don't spread myself too thin. And I don't let my heart get in the way of my sport. Hopefully, you're smart enough to understand that." And then, Kukri turned away completely, walking down the hall.

She stopped suddenly when Keira appeared in her face. "No, I don't." she muttered angrily into the other girls face, staring her down.

"If you are angry about it, then use your time making your friend better instead of blaming me for all her problems."

"Or what?"

"Are you challenging me?"

Keira smirked. Just what she wanted right now. "Meet me in front of Furinkan High at three PM. Bring all your fancy tools too, and we'll see just who's going to blame who."

Kukri sighed. "A regular fight. It has been a long time since I needed to battle someone like that." She shook her head. "Just know I will not hold back at all."

Keira cringed, then smirked. "I wouldn't ask for anything less."

Next Chapter: Ninjutsu vs. Rhythmic Gymnastics: A battle of revenge that simply brings about more threats of revenge!

* * *

And that's chapter 31. Phew, that was a long one. It took forever to edit, so I'm hoping I didn't waste all that time. The fight scenes were as good as I could make them, and I'm not too proud of them. But, I hope they got the point across. I think the fight at the dojo came out better, except I broke it up a bit to help slow down the other fight. Hopefully that didn't ruin it. 

Anyway, on with the reviews:

Drkjester: If you say so. And thank you for the kind review.

Shinjiku: YAY! I'm glad the chapter turned out well.

nonengle: Yeah, it was a quick chapter. But nothing interesting ever happens on Tuesday. As for Naruto's curse, didn't you see the bits before hand? How he had the whiskers? How Ukyo thought it was a raccoon digging through the trash, and then they found out it was Naruto searching for the note Sauske had? There have been hints like that for all the cursed people so far, giving hints to the others. For example, Sakura had fangs, when no one else in the Saotome or Tendo family did, had very strong eyes, and a powerful nose, and she was a wolf. Keep an eye out, and you might see more.

Paige C.: Yeah,I loved that scene with Pai. I mean, how else could you get someone's attention with just a pad of paper and a marker when you can't talk? (Well, there's always doodling on their face, butI didn't want to make the scene THAT comical.)

As for the drawing and such, no, nobodyI know has tried to draw them yet, and neither have I. All i can offer is a compilation of the desriptions, and add as much to it asI can. Some characters are based off real characters appearance (Auska is supposed to be similar to Chiyo-chan from _Azumanga Daioh_), but there isn't anythingI can give you beyond those two things. I salute you in your endeavor, though! Trying to draw the characters? I would love to see how you do!

Sleepingbear: So, you're back! Again. That's good! Thank you for the kind review: I do try to make this story the bestI can. Hopefully,I won't dissapoint you.

The Liz: Uhh . . . well, Chidori did face off against a Kuno. I mean, wouldn't it be less interisting if it was just some new, generic fighter with no real history in the series? It is supposed to be about the children, right? Besides, I have plenty of new characters coming in. I just **had **to use both Kunos.

* * *

I'm very surprised with these reviews. Apparently, I've made people so sure that I won't answer the questions, that they don't ask them anymore. I mean, nobody asked about the last few Jusenkyo curses that I haven't told you about (Chii, Tenchuu, and Sauske) and nobody asked who those two people at the very end of the chapter were. So, I'll say it anyway. The curses are not going to be revealed for a while, and those two people will be very important, very soon. Okay, that really doesn't answer much, but there you go. 


	32. Ninjutsu vs Rythmic Gymnastics

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma 1/2_, nor claim to.

Chapter Thirty Two: Ninjutsu vs. Rhythmic Gymnastics:

"The more you take, the more you blame, but everything still feels the same. The more you hurt, the more you strain; the price you pay to play the game. And all you seek and all you gain and all you step on with no shame. There are no rules, no one to blame; the price to play the game!" Staind: _Price to Play_

She smiled to herself. There was nothing she wouldn't be able to do. The fight would not be easy, that was for sure. But she would be ready. Her hair was set, except for the bandanna she was tying around her forehead. She snapped the knot tight against her skull, before smoothing it with her fingers. A quick glance over at the clock confirmed another twenty minutes before the required time.

She pulled her forearm slip on her left arm, placing it properly and quickly before gabbing her bracer and locking it over her forearm. There was a loud click as the metal snapped on, a very satisfying noise. She turned to her bed, where the kunai had already been laid out. She wasn't expecting to use them, but she wasn't about to leave them behind either. That ribbon had shredded Chidori's clothes in seconds. She wasn't about to do anything stupid and give Kukri a chance.

She would not make the mistake of toying with her, only to have it thrown in her face. Keira would win.

> > >

"Well, it's good to not be outside freezing today!" Sakura said loudly, stretching her legs out.

Yanagi nodded. "It is good. Especially since we have almost everyone back today."

"Almost? Is Kagura still sick?"

Yanagi shook her head. "No, she's back. She's in charge today, actually."

Sakura paled. "WHAT!"

"Yep, I'm in chaaa-aaarge, Sakuraaa-saaan. So start liking it!" A smug voice murmured happily behind them.

Sakura's shoulders slumped as she turned around. Kagura. The only other girl on the Kendo team, and the second best fighter, after Kuno-sama of course. She had short, crinkle-cut black hair; a . . . "gifted" chest; smooth, warm face; large, brown, and inviting eyes; and a hell of a lot of strength to swing a sword with. Plus, she had a secret crush on Kuno-sama too, even though he was too thick-headed to notice it and veer her off that course.

"And where is Kuno-sama?" Sakura asked calmly.

Kagura shrugged. "Taba-kun is off acting as his cousin's second for some match she has with some . . . other girl. I don't know the details, but he won't be around until that's done. Probably late, he said."

Sakura let her shoulders slump more. Kagura smiled and walked past her. Then, something clicked in the Saotome's head. "Hey, Kagura!" The girl turned back. "I guess that means I'm your sparring partner today, right?"

Kagura nodded. "Yep, you are." She smiled evilly.

Sakura returned that same smile, her piercing green eyes making it all the more powerful. "Good!"

Yanagi sighed, jotting down a note on the clipboard she held. "Just don't break anything, okay?"

> > >

Sauske leaned against the wall. Across the empty front lawn stood a deep-black haired girl and a gray-black haired boy sitting nearby. From what he had been told, it was Kuno Kukri and Tabakatsu. The girl was standing and stretching a bit, wearing a full length body suit, similar to Keira's ninja suit, except it was only a single piece, the left arm wasn't cut short, and it was black.

The boy, Tabakatsu-san, was sitting calmly, a large wooden sword resting on his shoulder. His arms were neatly folded in his lap, and he stared off at the field, ignoring most everything else. Surrounding him were piles of rhythmic gymnastic weapons. Clubs, ropes, balls, hoops, and ribbons all lay nearby.

"Keira, where are you?"

THUMP! Sauske turned to the gentle pounding sound, noticing a girl standing in the middle of the field, crouched from an awkward landing. Keira.

> > >

"All right, Aki. The word is _vending machine_." Ganko watched the Chinese girl scribble rapidly. "Take your time."

Aki ignored that. She knew this one . . . pretty well. She had been studying every night for the last two days, and she felt she was getting faster . . . no, better, than ever. Today, she'd know for certain.

THWACK! She slammed the pencil on the table, spinning the sheet around. "Finished!"

Ganko looked down, examining the work. "Yep, that's it!" she looked up. "You're doing pretty well, Aki. That's good!" She smiled.

> > >

"Well, you're actually here?" Keira asked, rotating her shoulder a bit to stretch it out. "That's good."

"Are you still angry at something that isn't my fault?" Kukri asked, standing tall now that her opponent was here.

"Isn't your fault? Riiiiiight."

Kukri simply shook her head. "I guess there is no more need for pleasantries. Shall we begin?"

Keira snapped her right hand down to her sword sheath. "Sounds good!"

> > >

"Damn that Kukri!" Chidori mumbled, glaring at the girl in question. Her face had several bandages on it, but some of the swelling was dying down from yesterday. Not all, though, but some.

Yoh and Kagome, standing on either side of the battered gymnast, simply nodded, unsure what exactly was going to happen.

"Come on, Keira! You can beat her!"

> > >

"Cousin, would you do the honors?" Kukri asked, turning her head to see him.

Tabakatsu pulled the sword from his shoulder, laying it down on top of his knees in one fluid motion. "Certainly." Kukri turned her head back. "Ready!" he shouted, his hands reaching out to be ready to snatch the first weapon.

Keira gripped the handle of her sword, her legs spreading to prepare for the start. She lowered herself a bit, her eyes narrowing and focusing on the target in front of her. Nothing would change. She would win. She was already prepared in the background.

"BEGIN!"

"Clubs!" Kukri shouted, racing forward.

Keira smiled. "Bad idea!" she raced forward, top speed.

Kukri gasped, realizing how fast her opponent could run, before running forward anyway. She reformulated her ideas, trying to find a opening before she reached the ninja. It became apparent quite quickly what her only option was.

Three meters separation. Keira grabbed her sword tighter. She had already bound the sheath and sword together with stiff wire, and there was no worry about it coming apart. So, it was drawn and swung in one quick, smooth motion. "Too late to dodge!"

The sword swung out, directly for Kukri. But it was certainly not too late. Her hands reached forward, grabbing the sword, before she hopped, vaulting up onto the girl's sword. It buckled greatly, but the girl was able to toss herself over, flipping once to land on the other side of the ninja. The two clubs whizzed into the air.

Keira stumbled under the sudden weight, but recovered instantly, spinning in place and slashing up, the tip of the sheath digging into the ground as it slid past her feet, causing a fluff of dust as it swung up at its target, swelling and swishing through the air as the weapon continued its journey.

The gymnast leaned aside, watching the sword whisk up to chest level before she started ducking. Stepping back to the other side, she moved under the sword, before raising her hands, now with clubs resting firmly in them over the other girl's arm. And down they came as Kukri rose back up, Keira unable to slow the sword in time to move. The ninja shifted her weight to back up, but what she had said had come true.

It was too late to dodge.

WHAP! "AAAGH!" Keira shouted, feeling two heavy blows into her arms. Her hand slipped, letting the sword go, dropping free of her hand and onto the dirt. And then came another two blows, into her stomach this time. Kukri had stepped in further, ramming the clubs into her gut, pushing them into her stomach and shoving the ninja back with whatever force she could muster. Keira unintentionally complied with that, although she was able to remain on her feet as she began skidding back.

Kukri stopped a moment, letting the girl stumble away from her, before spinning the clubs in her fingers. On the twelfth rotation, she snapped them tight in her hands, readying them for the "Blow of a Thousand Hands". Keira was hunched forward, both her hands behind her back, her feet still sliding a little. Kukri raised her hands in a high speed motion, leaving several images of her arms behind, before she prepared to move in. In her mind, a nerve shouted this was a bad idea. Something felt wrong about it all.

"Not enough!" Keira shouted, swinging both hands forward. Just because she had her kunai bracer didn't mean she left her throwing stars at home. In fact, she kept the pouch right in the center of her back, out of sight.

Two metal stars raced forward, spinning rapidly as they raced to their target. "What!" Kukri shouted, shocked again. A split second later, Kukri's clubs were ripped from her hands, a star imbedded in each one, and the pairs were flying away and behind her.

"Hey, how's this for gymnastics!" Keira shouted, running back up to her, before flipping. Back-flipping. Her feet swung up and forward, the toes and center of the foot pulling up on the ankle to leave just the heels in strike range, both connecting to the bottom of Kukri's chin. CRACK! The Kuno fell backwards, her feet and body pulled off the ground by the force of the kick.

Deftly, however, the St. Bacchus student fling her hands down, stopping momentarily in a handstand, before pushing off and flipping back. She landed on her feet before flipping again, and again, and again, alternating feet and hand landings until she was a good six metes away.

Keira had already landed easily on her feet, and groaned loudly at her opponent's speedy maneuvers. She was starting to feel the strain. Her sweat came up, and her body was weakening. She had to strike soon or drop it. That meant striking instead. She had her plan, and it wouldn't fail. If she dropped that, the strain was worthless.

Her blue aura starting to roll out, that single, pale, translucent aqua, thin and airy compared to Sakura's bold blue, glowing out a few centimeters from her body, but no more. "Are you giving up?' Keira asked her opponent, who was standing and rubbing her chin several feet away. Keira glanced down, then picked up her own sword from the ground with her blue tinted hand.

Kukri shook her head. "Rope!" A large, thick cord floated over, landing softly in her hands. The ends were knotted large, like always. But it was still a pliable, light rope, even though it could easily be used like a chain.

"I figured that." Keira muttered, starting to pant. She was pushing it. They had been still too long, and if she didn't bring them close, they would drain all her energy. She snapped her sword tight in her hands, holding it out with her arms fully extended in front of her and the point facing directly at Kukri. "Then let's finish this."

> > >

Sauske watched carefully. Keira had taken a few more blows, and she wasn't a very enduring fighter. A few hits could take her down. But she was sweating madly, and somehow, she looked completely exhausted already. The pain wouldn't do this, and her endurance should keep her from being so tired. Where had all here strength gone?

Then, it dawned on him. And all the worry was gone. Keira was definitely in charge of the fight if she was doing what he thought she was. There was no doubt in his mind that she was, either.

> > >

Ganko took a deep breath. It was her chance again. She hadn't gotten an answer last time, getting cut off by those two Amazons, Sapphiore and Ruby. That . . . probably wouldn't happen again. But still, she would approach the issue carefully. Aki was working on a full paragraph translation while Ganko corrected her last one, and while it might distract the Chinese girl, she had to know.

"So, Aki, you never answered my question from last time." Ganko muttered quietly. Aki glanced up at her. Ganko did not, still staring at the paper. "Do you love Sauske or not?"

Aki stared at her for a moment. "What . . . do you mean?"

"Well, aren't you engaged to him?"

"Yes."

Ganko still hadn't looked up from her sheet. "So, are you in love with him or not?"

"Why do you . . . want to know?"

"Well, I am his oldest friend."

Aki paused. "You are?"

"Yes. We met even before either of us can remember. Our parents are old friends, so we met very young. Technically, the first time we met was only when we were a couple weeks old."

Aki blinked. "Wow."

Ganko waited, listening to the silence in the room. Aki had stopped writing, obviously in thought, but she said nothing. "You still haven't answered my question."

Aki sighed. "It's not important . . . Either way, I am still . . . supposed to marry him."

"It's important to me. . . . I promise I won't tell him, if you want." Ganko said calmly, finally looking up from the work. "Besides, it's just a simple question. What do you feel about him? Friend to friend."

Aki paused, before sighing. She wasn't sure why Ganko wanted to know, but, . . . why not? "I don't love him." she said in a single, calm breath, no hint of fear or regret in the answer.

"I see." Ganko replied, turning back to her work. "But you seem to be getting along well."

"I don't **hate **him . . . anymore." Aki replied gruffly, turning back to her work as well, working for a moment, before slamming her pencil down when she finished. "But love him? . . . Not at all."

Ganko nodded. "Well, at least you know, right?" She finished reading for grammar and printing. "All right, Aki. Let's go over this one. You've been doing good." she said with a wide smile.

> > >

"Finish it? Are you really that tired already?" Kukri replied, staring down the ninja.

Wiping beads of sweat from her forehead, Keira shook her head. "Last chance to give up." Kukri didn't move. "Don't say I didn't give you a chance!"

Kurki felt that insult hit her, but she brushed it from her mind without thought. She spun the rope in her hand, watching carefully.

CHUNK!

Turning her head, she saw a kunai imbedded in the ground **to her side**. Keira was in front of her. CHUNK! Another one, half a meter closer.

CHUNK!

CHUNK!

CHUNK! CHUNK! CHUNK!

Jumping back to let the last three fill the void where she was standing in, she scanned the side with her eyes. What was Keira doing? Did she have help? No, something told her the ninja wouldn't do that. She wouldn't cheat. So how was she throwing the kunai? Then, she watched the kunai she dodged slowly shift to mist, trailing and fading away into nothingness.

Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her back.

"Boo!" That was Keira. And yet she could see her clearly standing across the field, watching her.

Kukri ducked, rolling onto the ground and aside. There was a SWISH! as a object swung above her. A sword. Keira's sheathed sword. There was a second Keira behind her. Kukri stopped on her feet before cartwheeling to the side, facing down the second Keira.

"What is this! Disguising your friends as you!"

Keira shook her head. "Wrong!"

The second Keira, very close, began talking. "There's only one Keira, and that's me."

"And me!" A new voice said. Kukri glanced away, seeing a third Keira waling towards her, four kunai in one hand and three in the other.

The first Keira shouted over. "So, how do you stop me now?"

> > >

"That's amazing!" Yoh shouted. "She can make copies of herself?"

Chidori and Kagome nodded. "Two at a time. They're real, in every sense of the word." Kagome paused. "They can't take much of a beating, but those kunai and weapons are as real as we are when the copies are out there."

"Incredible!"

"There's also . . . well, she'll be fine. I doubt that will be a problem."

"What?"

"Nothing. It's nothing."

> > >

Sauske watched. Keira had the fight. But something was nagging him. She had wasted a lot of chakra already, and she might not have much left to support her dopplegangers for much longer. The real Keira still showed a blue aura for a moment, the only one able to do so. She was going to throw everything into this strike. She couldn't miss here.

Or she'd have nothing left.

> > >

"Giving up?" Keira, the real one, asked through panting gasps for breath.

Kukri paused. "BALL! HOOP!"

"All right then!" the second Keira, only a meter away, shouted, swinging her sword.

Kukri rolled her shoulders inside, letting it whiz by. Her rope spun and shot forward, the knot beaning her in the eye. She cried out, but swung again. The gymnast ducked, before swirling the rope and slicing it up, hitting the girl in the chin with the knot.

The real Keira twitched at that, a tingle on her face.

The seconds doppleganger stumbled back, before the Kuno turned and threw the rope at Keira three, who was starting to run towards her.

The rope spun just centimeters above the ground. The dopplegangers may be copies, perfect physical copies, but they never have Keira's speed or reflexes at any serious distance. They slow the further they are from the ninja. Which meant the rope easily tangled itself around her legs, locking them together and causing her to fall. As she crumpled onto the ground, a rubber ball whizzed over her head.

"Remember this!" Kukri shouted. The black-haired girl ran forward, before backflipping forward. Her feet connected to the ball, flip-kicking it to shoot directly at the still recovering second Keira. WHAM! It hit her in the face again. She shrieked, blown back off her feet, before exploding into mist.

Keira, using he blue aura speed, continued the run to catch Kukri, ignoring the gently burning pain in her face. She was able to deal with the pain feedback she got from her first two dopplegangers, but it didn't mean it felt nice to get hurt from such a long distance. She had to focus on the battle at hand, though, and so she attacked.

The hop swung out to the girl's hand, before she spun with it. "Ribbon!" she shouted, releasing the hoop directly at the first Keira. She still had her excellent reaction time, though, so she jumped over it easily.

The ribbon was instantly caught by Kukri, who shot the line over to the third Keira. It snapped around her waist. "What the!" was her shout before she was up and spinning around.

Keira hadn't landed yet. And in the air, she couldn't dodge. There was nothing to push off of.

Seeing her double circling around at her, Keira crossed her arms over. Her left was put outside the right, since her right was more important for fighting. Too bad she hadn't been in a real fight since before Aki and Sauske had their second battle in the park. She might not have made such a terrible mistake.

WHAM! "AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" both screamed as they collided together, the third one rammed into the first. Keira had raised her arms to lessen the blow on herself, but that meant her kunai, attached to her left arm and now pointing outwards, simply rammed directly into the doppleganger's back. She vaporized instantly, and the real Keira was now filled with the horrifying pain of seven knives jabbed in her spine as she collapsed onto the ground.

Spinning the ribbon up into the air, it arced widely above Kukri's head as she watched the screaming ninja collapse on the ground. After a moment, she let it drop, trailing down and coming to rest on the ground gently around her feet. "Finished?"

> > >

Keira moaned loudly on the ground. She took some quick, shallow breaths, before placing her hands onto the ground. She wouldn't lose now. She began to push herself up into a seated position. It was all she could muster at this point.

Everything. She destroyed her entire plan. How? . . . She didn't give a damn anymore. There was no point in wondering. Right now she had nothing.

Except her sword. That would be enough. "Never!" Keira muttered.

> > >

Sauske stepped forward a bit. "Keira! That's enough!"he shouted loudly, seeing a small trickle of blood flowing from the girl's mouth.

Keira shook his comments off, standing raggedly on her legs. The aura was gone. He knew her chakra was gone. There was dirt all over her face, and her body looked ready to collapse, her knees buckling and bending as she balanced herself. "I'm not losing to a heartless girl like her, Sauske-kun!"

"Keira! Let it go!"

"NO!"

> > >

The ninja wiped her mouth with her right hand, before raising and gripping her sword tightly. The initial sharp pangs of pain were starting to subside, and as long as she focused, the rest would soon follow, becoming only a dull background thought. But she had to focus.

"Heartless? Didn't I explain that yesterday?" Kukri replied calmly.

"Shut up!"

"I'm not heartless, Keira-san. I simply know my limits. You can only have love in your heart for so many people. If you spread too thin, they all want more, and you have nothing left to give. Then, you break. And then you are alone." She swished a few loose hairs back behind her ear, her eyes downcast to the ground. Tabakatsu's head lowered a bit too. "And let's not forget **you **challenged **me**. Do you expect me to come bearing flowers and presents to my opponents? You asked for a battle, and I live up to my side."

"Shut up!"

"You are quite the fighter, Keira. But I've been doing this since I was four. My mother taught me everything she knew, and I added in the rest! I don't lose. I've trained myself for this style since before you could even hold that sword. You may be fast, intelligent, and powerful for a normal person, but your speed is your encumbrance. Even though you can run fast, and while you are able to stalk silently, I have yet to miss hitting more than twice."

"I said shut up!" Keira screamed, running forward, the sweat rolling down her face. "I won't lose!"

> > >

"What is going on out there!" Ganko muttered at the last few series of screams. She stood up, and Aki as well, and the two girls walked quickly to the window. The looked out, searching with their eyes, before Ganko gasped and pointed.

Aki's eyes followed it immediately, before spotting it herself. "Is that . . . Keira?" Aki asked quietly, noting the girl's ragged appearance.

"I think so. What happened to her?"

"I said shut up!" Keira screamed, before bolting forward. "I won't lose!"

> > >

Kukri turned to her brother. "Clubs!"

"It's too late, Kukri!" Keira shouted, blindly running forward, hatred burning in her eyes.

The clubs shot over, as the gymnast dropped the ribbon's handle and snatched the new weapons out of the air. She spun the clubs in her fingers, standing serenely as Keira continued towards her. "Yes, it is."

Keira swung the sword to one side, readying it for a big slash. WHAM! "URK!" she coughed, stumbling a bit. The gymnast had rammed the clubs into her stomach again, running in herself at the last moment. Keira tried to refocus her eyes, but they were starting to blur. She was able to make out the shape of the Kuno, however, and she drew her sword back, stabbing forward.

"No." Kukri replied, her form moving suddenly.

> > >

Kagome gasped. The girl flipped, landing on her hands, before her feet shot up and kicked the sword out of Keira's hands. It spun up into the air, flipping and twirling up in everyone's view.

Yoh gulped.

Chidori let her head drop. ". . . I'm sorry, . . . Keira . . . I should never have lost."

> > >

Keira stumbled, unable to focus on the world. Her sword was gone. She didn't know how, but it was. She could hear the whirling sound and a soft THUMP! of feet on the ground. "I . . . I haven't lost yet!" Keira shouted, swinging forward with her right hand.

> > >

Kukri leaned aside, letting the hand whisk past her face again. It was pointless to go on, but Keira wouldn't stop. She raised her own hand into the air, letting the falling sword land easily in it.

Twirling in place, she made a tight grip on the sword with both hands. "Goodbye, Keira." Her spin continued, until she was about to be facing the ninja again.

CRACK!

"AAAHH!" Keira screamed again, the sword's sheath smashing into her all the way across her body from her right hip to her left shoulder, knocking her away. She spun, crashing down sideways and rolling away on the ground to a stop, her face and limbs banging and bouncing on the compacted soil. Then . . . serenity. There she lay, face down, eyes staring at a spot on the ground unfocused, . . . beaten. Her mind didn't notice it at all, however. It had already shut down by the time the last blow hit her.

Kukri dropped the sword to the ground. She could hear several people starting to run over from the crowd, but when she turned to see them, she noticed they were slowing down. They saw something, and so they stopped. She turned back to the fallen ninja, and there was a boy at her side, the one shouting for her to stop moments ago. He was flipping her over, getting her onto her back and helping her up.

> > >

"Keira. Keira!" Sauske said, brushing her face. Her eyes were open, but they stared right off into nowhere. She was breathing, but it was ragged and shallow. He sat her up more, before noticing her limbs were moving however gravity pulled them.

She was out cold.

Sauske let his head drop, clenching his teeth and ignoring the sound of approaching feet. She should have stopped. Both of them should have stopped!

She looked almost exactly as she had that night he lost control, except with dirt instead of soot.

"Is she all right?"

Sauske glanced up, seeing the gymnast Kuno Kukri standing a few meters away, looking at them with mild interest, ignoring the bruise on her chin. He sighed. "She's unconscious."

"Are you going to be angry at me for this?" Kukri asked, guessing at the answer already.

Sauske glanced down, clenching his teeth more. His hands snapped tight, his eyes shut tighter, and all the hate he had in him rose up, filling his body.

And then fell away again.

"No. It's nobody's fault." he muttered.

The girl nodded, turning away. Sauske lifted the ninja up, one arm under her knees and one under her back, before walking over to the three people who had started coming out to Keira's aid: Yoh, Kagome, and Chodri. "Kagome, can you bring anything here of Keira's to Dr. Tofu's clinic?"

She nodded. "Of course."

"I'll meet you there, then." Then, he turned away, and started running off to his uncle's.

> > >

The bell above the door rang, and Ono looked up to see three people, a boy and two girls, the second with several bandages on her face, entering his clinic. "Hello? Can I help you?"

"Are you Dr. Tofu?" the first girl, carrying a few metal stars and knives as well as a large sword, asked calmly.

Ono nodded. "Yes, this is my clinic."

"Is Kuonji Keira here?"

Ono nodded again. "Ah, you must be the ones Sauske said was coming. Yes, she's in the back room, resting."

"Can we see her?" the second girl asked.

"Of course. Just don't make too much noise. She's very tired."

> > >

Sauske sat on the rolling stool his uncle used, staring at her battered friend as she continued to eat the short stack of cookies his aunt had given her. Six sugar cookies were being devoured by the girl, and so she began regaining some of her strength back. Not much, but some. Her arm bracer lay on the floor beside her, along with the cloth liner underneath it.

"How are you feeling?" Sauske asked calmly.

The girl sighed. "Fine."

There was a pause.

"I shouldn't have lost." she gobbled down another cookie. "I should never have lost!"

"Keira, it's all right."

"No, it's not! I was supposed to beat her for Chidori! I'm faster, I'm stronger, I'm smarter, I have better techniques, and I still lost!"

Sauske shook his head. "It's not your fault, Keira. She was more agile. You couldn't hit her, and you got caught off guard. It's not . . ."

"That doesn't matter." Keira clenched her hands. "I was supposed to win!" she snorted. "I'm going to beat her. Next time, I'll be ready! I'll beat her! I swear it!"

Sauske sighed. "Don't hurt yourself like this, Keira. You went too far, and I don't want to see you like this again."

Keira nodded, eating another cookie. Then, she paused, blinking . . . and blushed just a little. "Okay, Sauske-kun. I'll . . . be more careful next time."

Across the room, Kagome, Yoh, and Chidori stood, unbeknownst to the other two. They watched, silent and out of sight, smiling just a little bit. "Let's give them some more time alone." Kagome whispered, before the three sneaked back out the door secretly.

There was a quiet pause.

Sauske was the first to speak. "Do you know what you're going to do?"

The ninja shook her head. "No. I . . . need to figure out something to stop her dodging."

There was another quiet pause, Sauske nodding in reply. After a moment, though, he spoke out again in the calm, concerned, controlled voice. "Do you want me to help you train?" Sauske offered.

Keira blinked, before smiling expectantly. "Really?" Sauske nodded again. "That sounds good to me, Sauske-kun."

> > >

"What is your plan for our next course of action?"

He sighed, laying back on the bed, tossing a small rubber ball up, and catching it in his hands to relax. It was almost seven at night, and they were set. A cheap-as-hell motel, set on the outskirts. Nothing for the two of them to worry about putting up with. It was better than the forest, even if it smelled like a cat's litter box. "There were Amazons in one district. A little community, from what I saw."

"Are you certain that is a good plan? _She_ might come after us if we start our search there." the other person replied, sitting in a chair upright, staring at his partner, the cloth sitting gently against his face.

"Geeze, can you ever relax, man? We've got nothing to worry about here. You don't have to keep hiding your face around me. I'm not going to turn you in." He chuckled lightly. "Especially since they're mad at me too."

"Old habits die hard, and I would prefer to be safe."

"Okay, whatever. Besides, I'm not worried about _her_. Last rumor I got, _she _was in Osaka. That's . . . what . . . ten stops behind us? It'll be months before _she _gets to us here. Constantly on the road, so that makes _her_ completely cut off from contact. Meaning, there's no way _she'll_ find us any faster than following each step we've taken . . . . Anyway, Amazons are the lowest risk right now."

"And what, may I ask, is making you believe that Amazons are the lowest challenge?"

"That's not what I said. They're the lowest risk. They're strong and well known fighters. Perfect for the plan. We need to build a rep now if we want to find _him_. We don't have anything to go on until we do. Beating them will definitely make us look strong **fast**. Fewer fights means less time wasted. . . . I'm more worried about her, though. You know she could come out of anywhere. And I got no idea where she is. Do you?" The other man shook his head. "See why the Amazons aren't that bad?"

"I understand that perfectly now."

He paused, holding the ball in his hand, before taking a long, deep breath. "If you want to go off and slide out of sight for a while, I won't mind. She isn't looking for me, so I'm not worried about getting spotted by her. But I won't make you do this if you want to stay hidden."

"I did not agree to stay with you just to leave you when our journey is so close to completion. Also, I can handle her."

He nodded, tossing the ball up extra high. It dinked off the ceiling, making a soft thumping sound. He could hear the footsteps outside and in the other rooms. People could probably hear them talking outside. Good thing they had his partner's conversation rules. Nobody would know diddly-squat until they wanted to say it openly. Which, right now, was never. "Can you believe it?"

"Can I believe what?"

"How close we are. How close we are to the end. To finding him. And then getting to her."

"It is good. Are you at all worried about last time you met, however? She did not seem very kindly then. We must not . . ."

"I don't care about that. What happened then happened. She and I both left worse off then when we came. And she can hate me all she wants, but I'm not losing sight of her any more. . . . It's been seven years since I left."

"What do you think _she_ will say if _she_ catches us before we find her?"

"To what?"

"To everything that has happened in four months. After that last encounter you had with _her_. _She_ is losing _her_ patience. It has been five years since you agreed to that pact."

"Right now, _she_ can say whatever _she _wants. When this isn't done, I just can't do it! No matter what _she_ does to me because of it, I don't care! I won't stop 'til we find her! But, once I find her, . . . well, I won't have to run out again, right?"

"I see."

"So, the target's the Amazons. We start tomorrow."

"What if they find a way to contact _her_?"

"Trust me, they won't know to look for_ her_. The jacket, the hair, the glasses . . . they might guess, but I don't look like I did last time I was there. And besides, they won't worry about who I am when I smash them to the ground, right?"

"You seem quite confident."

"I am. But you have to back me up."

"I will always be beside you when needed. You can trust in me."

"I know. Same goes for me."

"Then I suggest we get plenty of rest."

"Yeah. Sounds good."

Next Chapter: It's Friday, which means it's time for Tenchuu and Sauske to battle once school ends . . . if they can get there.

* * *

Can you believe it! An update! Chapter thirty two is done! HOORAY! Sorry for the long delay, everyone, but I had a serious case of writer's block, and a lot of stuff was going on in school, life, etc. to just make it worse. I'm giving up on promising the next chapter being done in time, but I'm getting through most of the problem areas, so I'll do my very best to have it done on time this week.

And has taken away **another** one of my scene breakers, so this new one is from Paige C.'s fic. HopefullyI didn't miss any scene breaks, and ifI did, please tell me, and I'll fix it.

Anyways, on with the reviews:

nonengle: Well, there you go. Keira in a match outside of training. Expect more soon!

Sleepingbear: Well, cheer for Kuno if you want, or cheer for Chidori if you want. (They're both good) As for Akane's trash talking, I keep wanting to add more puns and battle taunts to my fights, and just too many came into my head for this fight to pass up. Hopefully, I can start writing more fights like than. The scene with Ranma and Akane in training was just a fun thing to prove Akane could do it. (But, seriously, was there ever any doubt?)

Paige C.: First, thank you. I really liked that scene with Akane in training too. And yes, you probably can guess what I cut out. Second, she has been in training to learn them for a while, although the last timeI mentioned that was when I went over the special moves, or during her bio, soI figured people would have forgotten, so hopefully it was a fun surprise. But if you can shoot balls of energy around with your bare hands, why not do so? And what do you think that means is going to be found out? Third, yes, Chidori was being a bit stubborn, and Kukri was right in that sense. I don't agree with **everything **she says, but what Kukri said about Chidori's mistakes, her being cold in the ring because it's a game, and everyone stubbornly getting angry at her, that's all right with me. Hopefully you enjoyed this little add on to her battle reporitoir. Forthly, yes, she is Kodachi's daughter. What might have confused you is her family name is still Kuno, but she is Kodachi's daughter, and Tabakatsu is Tatekawi's son (in case you were wondering).

Shinjiku: Sorry, sorry, I forgot that Aki wouldn't be in the last one when I said she was coming back. But she **is **back now, and will be back in the future chapters. Not every one, but she's going to be important again soon. So, don't worry.

The Liz: Yeah, Akane deserved to lay down the smackdown on somebody. She has before, and she probably will again, but it is about time she had a big fight where she takes down the bad dude all by herself! As for the Ninja/Gymnast fight,I hope it was good.


	33. Disaster Befalls

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma ½_,nor claim to.

Chapter Thirty Three: Disaster Befalls:

"Isn't it strange that the man standing in front of me doesn't have a clue why he's waiting, or what he's waiting for? Maybe it's me, but I'm sick of wasting energy. Maybe if I look in my heart, I could find a backdoor." Incubus: _Privilege_

Aki glared at anything and everything in front of her as she marched to school, alone. This was **totally** unfair! It was all right that Pai was allowed to stay home; after all, she was sick. She had no problem with that. But her brother Chii got to stay home for his training today, and she didn't? That was horribly unfair, no matter how complex his training was. She should have gotten the day off too, even if she wasn't what her brother was. And, since her mother was going to be out with other Amazons during the day, Tenchuu got to stay home to help with the renovation in the restaurant!

Where was her break? Why did she still have to go to school on the last day before this strange "Christmas/Winter" vacation?

She muttered several Chinese curse words about her brothers before she continued on into the school, early as she was, ignoring the students loitering outside.

> > >

"_Where are you going, Tenchuu?" _Chii asked, looking up from the last bits of his breakfast. _"You said you weren't going to school today. Did you change your mind?"_

Tenchuu shook his head. _"I need to remind someone of our duel today."_

Chii paused, watching his brother go to the door. _"Is it Sauske?"_

"_Who else would it be?" _the older brother asked, his hand sliding out of the long robes to open the doorway.

"_Be careful." _Chii warned, causing his brother to stop in the opening instead of simply walking outside. _"If Aki finds out, she will obliterate you. You know that, right?"_

"_She won't find out."_ Tenchuu replied, before disappearing out the door and down the street towards the school the same way Aki had ten minutes ago.

> > >

"Hurry, Sauske! We don't want to be late!" Sakura shouted, sprinting along the road, dodging between people. She really hated the school uniform skirts today; she would be running along the empty fence if it wasn't for that one little thing.

Sauske was running along the fence today, though, but he too had to push himself to even keep up with his sister, let alone pass her. "I know! But you should have packed you bag last night! We wouldn't have this problem if you did!"

"Shut up!"

Sauske jumped down, running about a meter behind his sister across the street to the other side. "There's the school!" he shouted as he came up onto the other sidewalk.

SHIWSH! CHINK! "WHAAAAH!" WHAM! KSSSSSssssshhh!

". . . ow."

Sakura snapped to a stop, turning her head around when she heard her brother's shout, her raven blue ponytail whipping around her head as she looked back. "Sauske, what is it!"

The boy, laying face down on the pavement, having slid a little way along it face down. "I don't know. I tripped on something." he muttered as he leaned up, rolling onto his back and into a sitting position. There, attached to the base of a lamp post, was a small metal dart tied to a rope at ankle level.

"Hello, Sauske." A voice said as the dart was yanked from the post with a loud CHANK!

Sauske glanced to the side, before seeing the person there, rolling the rope into his sleeves. The boy jumped up. "T-Tenchuu! What are you doing here?"

"Why you think I here?"

> > >

"Plenty of time!" Keira thought as she ran down the road. It was another few minutes before school started, and she was only a few blocks away as she sprinted along the fence at full speed.

Then, she saw something which brought her run to a slow jog. Sauske and Sakura were ahead of her, which was odd. They were usually at school already when she finally left the house, but . . . there they were, standing in the road. A tall boy near them flicked his wrist as Sakura ran by. And then, Sauske tripped and crashed onto the ground.

"What the?" Keira thought, before she recognized him. "Wait, that's Tenchuu, Aki's older brother!"

There was a short interchange between the two teens that she couldn't hear as she jumped down from the fence, dashed secretly across the street, and ducked in behind a parked car a few meters from the back of the Amazon. From there, she thought she would be able to hear the conversation without being part of it. She was right.

"I don't know why. Can you just tell me? We're going to be late for school." Sauske-kun. For certain.

"Then it good I came." That was Tenchuu.

"What?"

"Today, we fight after school."

There was a pause. "Right, that."

"Sauske?" That was Sakura.

"I'm all right, Sakura."

"Is that what Uncle said? You know you shouldn't be fighting until you healed."

"I'm fine, Sakura. I . . ."

Tenchuu interrupted. "Did you eat food Aki brought?"

"What? Oh, you mean those lunches?"

"Yes. They had special herb to help healing. I asked her to make them. If eaten, you recover from wounds faster, and you be fine today."

"What?"

"I see you at three behind school. Don't be late." Tenchuu walked off, passing by Keira, still hiding behind the car. He paused suddenly, turning back, but didn't notice the girl crouching by the bumper. "Do not tell Aki either. This between you and me only." He turned away again, walking off without ever turning back.

"Don't tell Aki?" Sauske-kun again.

"Sauske, do you believe him?" Sakura.

"Believe what?"

"About the herbs?"

". . . Yeah. Aki told me the same thing . . . I didn't know it was planned like that, though."

"What are you going to do?"

Another pause. "I don't know yet." A third pause. "Come on, let's go. School's going to start soon."

"Right."

Keira clenched her hands as she listened to the two of them running off. She wouldn't be able to help him, not without any chakra left. She hated knowing that . . . . There was something she didn't like about this whole situation. Tenchuu had planned this out for a little while . . . what was the point? Why did he want to fight Sauske so badly?

> > >

Sauske watched Aki walk back to her friends. They were all outside on this oddly warm, sunny day. They thought they would finally have to eat inside for the winter, but then the weather just warmed up suddenly. It was nice to see, but a sixty-five degree day in late December?

"Are you going to be there too, Mayu?" Ganko asked, turning to her friend while she ate.

Mayu nodded. "Of course I'm going to be there. Why would I miss the Saotome Christmas party?"

Hojo shook his head. "You did last year."

"Well, last year was a mistake. I'm not going to miss it again. It's fun!"

He smirked. "You're just going because Chii's going to be there, aren't you?"

Mayu's eyes widened, then she shook her head and blushed. "No, that's not it at all! I-I-I just wanted to go this year."

"Of course you do, Mayu." Ganko replied, taking another bite.

Hojo nodded. "It's good that he's not here today so you could **prove **he's not the reason you're going. After all, if he was, you'd have been staring at him the whole time."

Mayu blushed more. "Shut up." she mumbled, before pausing. Then, her face and voice calmed, before she sat up straight and turned to Sauske. "Oh, Sauske. Can you tell your parents that my mom won't be there again? She's not in very good shape right now."

Sauske didn't look up from the bento box, having been staring at it as soon as Aki had sat down. Instead of replying, he simply nodded his head.

"Another one of those calls?" Ganko asked quietly.

Mayu nodded, brushing back her blond hair. "Yeah, some weirdo calling about Hanshou Kasei and Hanshou Hinoko. It's been bothering her a lot lately."

"What did your father say?"

"Same thing he always says. 'It's not something you should be worrying about, so don't ask, blah blah blah.' "

Hojo leaned in. "Are you sure it's not someone from her family?"

"It's still no, Hojo." Mayu replied, leveling an angry glare at the boy. "She's still always been an orphan, no family, and just because her name is Hinoko doesn't mean it has anything to do with whoever they want. Besides, her name was Enzeru Hinoko."

"I was just asking." Hojo muttered back meekly.

"Well, don't ask it over and over again. Besides, it's none of your business."

"Sheesh, calm down, Mayu. Besides, you brought it up." Hojo said, before immediately turning his attention back to his food to end the conversation before it got any worse.

Sauske continued to stare at the bento box Aki had given him, still placed on his lap, unopened.

Ganko sat quiet for a moment, before speaking up. "Will she be all right?"

Mayu grimaced, before nodding. "Yeah, it's just a passing thing. When those annoying morons stop calling, it'll be all right."

"So, are you going to unplug the phone again?"

She smiled. "Yeah, why not? The only thing I missed last time I did was Hojo calling me twenty three times because he forgot what the homework was."

Ganko and Mayu laughed as Hojo steamed. He cleared his throat. "Mayu, it was only twenty **one** times."

The girls started laughing again. After a few moments, Ganko looked up, before she stifled her giggles. "Sauske, are you okay?"

"Huh?" the boy asked, finally looking up.

"You've been staring at that box the whole time." the girl asked, pushing her glasses up her nose. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I'm okay."

"Are you sure?"

Sauske paused, before grabbing the top and pulling the box open. "Yeah, Ganko, I'm okay."

> > >

"AAAGH!" he shouted, dropping down onto the ground, rolling over several times. The heat died out quite quickly, but he still swung up his hands, patting his head.

He screwed up. Badly. It was like that old saying: play with fire, and you get burned. He shouldn't have messed around like this, but he needed to experiment a little to make sure he could still use those. If only he hadn't screwed up with them! . . . Well, he was out of practice. He'd have to build back up to where he used to be. That was all.

> > >

"Keira, what's wrong?" Kagome asked.

The girl sighed, scratching the bandage on her arm through her shirt. "Plenty of things."

Chidori sighed as well. "I know what you mean." she mumbled, brushing her face, feeling the band-aids and patches taped there. Her face wasn't as bad as yesterday, and her body was stronger, but she still felt like crap.

Kagome sighed. "Is it anything beyond . . ."

"I'm going to beat her, that's all." Keira snapped, before turning back to her food. She wasn't in the mood for talking right now. Too much was on her mind.

First, that crazed girl Kuno Kukri had beaten her and both her dopplegangers singlehandedly. And she had no idea what she could do to change it. The only plan she had would involve some serious training, and there wouldn't be many places around here where she could do the kind she needed in the time. And even if she found somewhere near Tokyo, it would be an all day work, and there was no way she would have enough strength to finish it all in vacation. She would only be able to work every other day, and she'd be constantly exhausted!

Second, she didn't want to talk about her injuries. Chidori was hurt badly, and would be for a while. Keira, on the other hand, by using all her chakra she had left from yesterday and today, was already mostly healed. By tomorrow morning, she would be back to normal. The day after, in perfect fighting form. She didn't want to end up telling Chidori that, since it would drag her mood further down.

And third, there was Tenchuu to worry about.

Whatever that meant she would have to do.

> > >

Him. The second he saw him, he knew that he would be the one he needed. There was no question. The white robes, the glasses, the very focused eyes not paying attention to anything in sight . . . . Not that whatever he was focused on mattered. Now all he needed was his . . . **help**.

> > >

Tenchuu walked solemnly along the road. He had about fifteen minutes until his challenge, but he would take his time walking there to arrive just on time. There was no question that Sauske would be there; everything he had been told by friends and his sister proved that was a certain truth. Their fight would happen. And he was quite certain he would not tell Aki. She might find out through other means, but there was nothing he could do about that. Besides, this was important. This aura stunned him, and he wanted to see exactly how Sauske could control it. If he actually **could**.

He placed each hand in the sleeves of the other, walking down the road in a monk-like fashion, his eyes steeled as he traveled.

"Hey!"

Tenchuu ignored the shout. He didn't recognize the voice, it sounded urgent, and he really didn't have time. It was for someone else to deal with.

"Hey, you! In the white robe and the glasses!"

Damn. Whoever was shouting **was **talking to him. And it didn't sound like he could just keep walking. There was the sound of long striding footsteps approaching in front of him. The Amazon lifted his eyes, staring ahead, to see a definitely unknown someone running towards him.

And his eyes went wide when he saw the man stop in front of him.

Standing only a meter away, the man hunched forward, resting his hands on his knees and breathing heavily. A thick red trenchcoat, dusty and ragged from use, hung down over his body, with a black shirt and pants underneath, from what the Amazon could tell. He had sandrock tan hair, gelled and spiked up to make a column straight up his head.

The face turned up. It was dusty as well, free of sweat and a little relieved to see the Amazon looking at him. A pair of orange-lenses were set into sunglasses sitting on his nose, with bent, crooked wire frames. His eyes sat behind the translucent crystal, staring kindly up at Tenchuu. His nose was prominent and quite pointed, and his ears, seen easily since none of his hair was down, each showed a single ring pierced in along the top of each one. The scruffy stubble of an unshaven face was apparent along his jaw line and chin. He didn't appear to be very old; in fact, he might be only a year older than the Amazon. But he looked like an adult, that slight contrast in his eyes of a man who has dealt with things children don't see. A man who had seen more than he should for his young age. A man, indeed.

What had spooked Tenchuu was his height. He was almost one and three quarter meters tall, at least! Slowly, and with what appeared to be an exhausted rise, the man reared himself back to full height. Tenchuu was tall, but even he was short compared to this man, the very top of his head reaching the man's eyes.

"You . . . you look like you can fight. You can, can't you!" he asked in a frantic and cheerful voice.

The Chinese teen stepped back a little, surprised. "Yes." was his only answer.

"I need your help! Please!"

"Help with what?"

"There's a field not far from here. Someone is going to get hurt if I can't find someone to break up the fight going on!"

"I very busy now, so I must go." Tenchuu was nervous, but he did everything he could to not show it as he began walking forward and stepping past him.

Suddenly, the red and black clothing shot in front of him. "Please! It won't take long! I need your help! My . . . my sister is in trouble, and if you don't help, I won't be able to get her back! Please!"

Tenchuu snorted, a curse word flinging through his mind, as he grudgingly stopped. He knew exactly what he was supposed to do, and what he would do. He never would shirk from protecting his siblings, and whomever this person was, he was trying to too.

"All right. What way?"

The man nodded, smiling, before saying, "Follow me!" as he turned and began running down the sidewalk Tenchuu followed without hesitation.

Fortunately, it was in the same direction as the school. At least this put him in the right path, even if a little off of it.

> > >

The bell rang loudly, and Sakura was on her way out in seconds. She was worried about everything. Even with vacation upcoming, and even though Sauske said he felt fine, and even though he said that Tenchuu had been telling the truth of the healing herbs, she was still really worried about him. It was ten minutes until Sauske's fight, so she had a little time, but not much.

Although, she still was hesitant about saying what she would need to to Kuno-sama. In her heart, though, she knew Sauske was more important than Kendo practice today.

Slowly, she turned and began walking towards the gym, her bokken still tucked in her belt and interfering with the flowing of her skirt. She hadn't bothered with it since she first started wearing the sword, and she didn't now. But there it was, being the only thing she could find to distract her attention from the upcoming conversation. She didn't want to let the team down; practice was important. Every one! That's what everybody knew. She knew it all too well. Martial artists don't get better by just willing it. They have to work at it. Even the auras were like that.

. . . Would he use it? Sakura gulped at that. Sauske would never knowingly use his aura, especially with all the bad memories tied to it, those close calls, the injuries. But, Tenchuu might do something to push him that way. She had no idea if he would or not; the girl had almost no knowledge of what the Amazon was like, even with the few weeks they had spent together in the same class. And, with the proper motivation, Sauske wasn't too difficult to push over the edge. It had to be the perfect motivator, to be sure, but if it was done right, her brother would probably lose his control without knowing it until he was already drawing the flame out.

Placing her hand on the door, she opened it and entered the gym. There were few members in there right now, since most were still changing in the locker rooms, and Kagura wasn't there either, thankfully. Yanagi and the coach were off talking in one corner, . . . and there was Kuno-sama, still working his way across the room to the lockers. He was the closest of the three.

"Kuno-sama!" she shouted, before dashing across the room to meet with him. He stopped, turning to face the girl as she ran to him, his eyes staring at her curiously. "Kuno-sama! I need to talk to you!"

It took a few more seconds for the girl to reach him, and he spoke as she began to slow down. "Oh, Sakura-san, I just remembered. My family and I would gladly go to your Christmas celebration!"

Sakura paused, blinking, before realizing what he was talking about. "Oh, right, that's good." She had convinced her parents to allow her to invite him and the Kunos. She didn't really understand why they were so adamant against it for the longest time; **yes**, she knew the stories, but they couldn't be **that **bad. "But, Kuno-sama, that wasn't . . . I need to talk to you about something else."

"Huh? What about?" He asked, beginning to walk, and motioning for her to do the same.

Sakura did, slowly moving along through the gym with him. "I . . . my brother . . . he was hurt last week . . . you see, and, um . . . he's got a fight today . . . so, I wanted to ask . . ."

"Sakura-san." The boy looked into her eyes calmly. "What do you need? I'll help however I can, but you need to tell me."

The girl nodded, a faint rosy color on her cheeks. "I'm worried about my brother, and I wanted to ask . . . if I can skip practice today?"

"What? That's all?" Tabakatsu said with a laugh. "Ha, don't worry about that, Sakura-san!"

"Huh? You mean, it's okay?"

"Of course! He's your brother! We all need to look after our family, Sakura-san! Think nothing of it. I'll tell the coach for you, all right?"

Sakura was stunned for a moment, before she bowed deeply, flicking her ponytail over her head with some serious force. "Thank you, Kuno-sama!"

The boy nodded, smiling at her. "Do not worry about it, Sakura-san." He patted her on the shoulder, walking towards the locker room. "Keep an eye on your brother. He is more important than KendoOAAAH!"

WHAM!

"Kuno-sama!" Sakura shouted, running forward as the small towel flew through the air and landed softly on the floor. Tabakatsu, having stepped on it, slipped and crashed onto the ground.

"I'm okaay, Saakuraa-saan." he muttered goofily. "It's just aa heaad injuuury."

> > >

"Here?" Tenchuu asked, standing in the middle of the empty lot. There was a chain link fence surrounding it. In fact, it looked like the place Aki and Sauske their battle. Or, at least, it did from what he had been told. Right along the path he took from the school to his home, set in a slightly depressed grass lot.

"Yes, here." the man said softly, standing a short distance away, his back to the Amazon.

Tenchuu scanned the landscape. It was empty except for brown, dead grass. No people, no footprints, no sign of a battle. "Where is fight?" he asked, starting to walk towards the man.

"They'll be here soon."

"When?"

He smiled, hearing the Amazon stop close to him. "Around . . . now!"

> > >

Keira ran quickly, dashing along the fence. She didn't care about her skirt; she ran too fast for anyone to get a peek. Besides, she had other things to worry about right now. There was the restaurant, coming into view.

Fighting was out of the question. She had used all her chakra today to heal, which is why she was sweating all along her body right now. She didn't have the energy for even this run. Maybe she could manage a short burst of strength for a few seconds, but that was questionable. All she really had going for her was focus. That wouldn't help! But she couldn't stand by and watch her best friend fight without her. Keira may not be fighting, but she'd be there to watch over him.

> > >

CRACK!

"RAAAHH!" Tenchuu shouted, his body twisting as it fell. WHAM! He bounced on the ground, before his limbs shot down and caught him before he crashed a second time. His eyes snapped up, before they turned angry, staring through the cracks. His glasses had been crushed, although not shattered.

The man stared back with a detached concern. "What? Is something wrong?"

"What you doing attacking me!"

He blinked, before sarcastically thinking over the last few moments and nodding his head. "Oh, right, the kick to the face . . . Well, you see, I would have just asked you, but you just seemed so busy. And I figured, if I already stared crushing you, you wouldn't think about just running."

Tenchuu steamed, before his hand swung up and pulled away his glasses, another pair coming out of his right sleeve, which he placed over his eyes as he stood. He needed them to see, like his father, but both of them had always known to carry extra pairs. He ignored the painful shoe print on his face, concentrating on the battle. "You wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"I crush you." he muttered furiously, before his right hand came out again, ten razor sharp darts in between his fingers. _"You're going to regret this!"_

The man turned, raising his hands into a basic, nondescript fighting stance, his legs spaced enough to keep mobile but not precarious. "Bring it on."

SCWHING! WHIP-PIP-PIP-PIP-PIP-PIP-PIP-PIP-PIP-PIP! The darts, each with a thin rope tied to them, were flung without pause, imbedding themselves in a line in the direction of the man. His reaction was blatant disregard as he dropped his arms, content to watch the teen's attack, instead of dodge it.

Tenchuu disregarded his opponent's calm attitude. He began running forward, the rope ends still inside his sleeves._ "You are finished now!"_ He flung his right hand around, releasing the ends. _"Chains of Fate!"_

There was a second dart at the end of each and every long rope, and with the release being along Tenchuu's front, and the other darts firmly imbedded into the ground, they swirled around, reaching the ropes limits. So, they began to track in a circle. One which included the man.

The ropes spun wildly, wrapping around him, tightly at the legs, while slowly riding up and around his torso. The lines each tightened along his body, clenching his legs together and locking his hands at his sides. Once they were up to his elbows, the ends spun off into the ground. WHIP-PIP-PIP-PIP-PIP-PIP-PIP-PIP-PIP-PIP! Every pin on the other end imbedded itself into the ground, locking in just as tightly as the first set. The ropes held the man firm, enclosing him inside his red trenchcoat. He didn't fall, instead standing still in that spot.

"_It's time to end this!" _Tenchuu shouted, swinging both his arms out to the side, which made eight metal swords, four on each hand, slide out of his sleeves, all held parallel to each other like animal talons. _"Claws of the Lion!"_ The Amazon continued his charge, running forward with the swords trailing behind, prepared to shred the man as soon as he was close.

Being surprisingly calm at the moment, the redcoat man let his head face the ground. "Fate, huh? Is that what's holding me like this?" He shook his head once, before sighing. "Well, just so you know . . ."

Tenchuu let his body crouch, focusing on his target point in the middle of the rope chains tied around him from the knees to the elbows.

" . . . I don't believe in fate!" he shouted, his face rising angrily, before every muscle in the bound area clenched.

RR-RIP! SNAP! SNAP-SNAP! Tenchuu's eyes widened as the ropes began breaking apart near his hips, his legs spreading with all the force they could pull out. The lines started slipping on one another, the gentle cackling of strained fibers filling his last moments of approach.

Then, the unthinkable happened.

> > >

"Please hold on, Sauske!" Keira said loudly to herself as she ran back. Wearing her ninja gear, the long sleeved, dark-blue top and bottoms of the suit on in a disheveled fashion, her kunai still in the cloth pouch they were stored in. She had her sword in her other hand, the bracer held there as well by a single finger.

The ninja paid no attention to the people along the ground. "Don't let Tenchuu hurt you!"

Maybe that was why she didn't notice the girl walking along the sidewalk. That girl heard the final sentence, before turning back to look at the speedy form of the Kuonji. She paused, watching Sauske's friend run towards the school. "Tenchuu?"

There was a moment's pause as the girl contemplated the information, the speedy run of the ninja, and the events of the day. After that single moment, it was all sensible. Her eyes narrowed, teeth clenched, fingers working to snap the handle of the bag in her hand.

"Tenchuu!" she muttered angrily to herself again, before Aki began bolting to the school after Keira.

> > >

KADADADADACHING!

Tenchuu dropped the swords from his fingers, hoping to raise his arms in time to defend himself. Without the weight of them slowing his block down, the Amazon thought he might be able to protect himself from the incoming metal before it was too late.

He was wrong.

The metal darts that first imbedded snapped out of the ground, the tension on the ropes drawing them back into their original arc around the man. And into the Amazon.

SHING! "NNNGH!" Tenchuu gritted his teeth, trying not to scream out as the ten metal darts sliced through the front of his white robe, and the skin underneath. None of the cuts were deep, but it was ten even lines across his unprotected chest by his own weapons, which then went swinging off and around the man again.

In a circle.

This time, Tenchuu was able to raise his arms in time to protect himself, which meant the darts didn't hit him where he didn't want them too. But the wider arc meant they were cutting deeper into him. The only fortunate bit was the tension was slacking, slowing the ropes down a little bit, making the metal daggers return trip a little less potent. But still, they were closer.

They dug deep with their second strike, though, cutting far into each of his arms. Several metal objects inside his sleeves deflected a few darts, but each of his arms, crossed over himself in an X pattern, was cut three or four times.

And then came the foot.

"AARGHH!" Tenchuu shouted out, the hard sole of a boot crushing his crossed arms back into his face. His whole body was smashed backwards, the blow more powerful than the first kick, and accentuated by the lacerations on his body. He felt his feet lift off the ground as he fell back, approaching the ground.

> > >

WHAM!

Aki groaned on the ground, before placing her hands on the pavement. She lifted her head and upper body off the sidewalk, before brushing the pebbles from her face. Her eyes turned back to see that she had carelessly tripped on the sidewalk edge. And there was a red glow emanating from herself.

Taking a breath, she worked to calm herself down. She would always get clumsy when she lost control of her emotion. She lost her balance, then everything fell apart. That's how Sauske beat her, using her angry mind set against her.

Sauske! She cursed herself under her breath as she slid her knees forward and stood up, straightening herself as she began jogging forward. After the third pace, she began to push up her speed, racing off to the school.

She didn't contemplate why she was going to stop Tenchuu from attacking Sauske. She kept telling herself how she had promised to not bring out Sauske's aura again. Aki had assigned herself to stop her brothers from doing the same. And it was obvious what Tenchuu wanted.

That was why she was doing it. She believed in it totally.

That, she continually repeated in her mind like a fervent pilgrim, was the only reason she was running.

> > >

Tenchuu really wanted him to pay now. Somehow, this man had pulled himself loose from the binding ropes, which should be strong enough to hold back a horse. But that kick showed more than he expected. Tenchuu leaned up to look at his opponent while seated on the ground. There was a lot of force in this man. But it didn't appear to be in his arms, since the only damaged ropes were around his legs.

"Still don't get it?" The man asked, lowering his hands a little bit to get under the bottom rope, before grabbing it and pulling it up and over his head, tossing it off towards the other set of imbedded darts. "I did say I would crush you."

Tenchuu ignored the burning sensations in his arms and chest, leaning forward and putting his feet back under himself. Balancing on the balls of his feet, he began to rise, brushing the dirt and grass off of his back. "You wrong still."

"Oh? Want to tell me how?"

"I no lose to you! You kick strong, but I, Tenchuu, son of Shampoo and Mousse, no can lose!" His arms swung forward, two razor sharp scythes dropping out of the sleeves along his hands. He held his arms out straight, the blades curving back behind himself, edges to the inside. _"This is your end!"_

"Shampoo and Mousse?" The man muttered. Then, something strange happened. He began chuckling. Loudly, and for several long, still seconds. The laughs filled the empty lot with an eerie noise as it pulsed through the air. Tenchuu ignored it as the man spoke out again, a little louder. "Ha! Do you think that matters to me! You're a blind fool, Amazon! I escaped your 'Fate Chains,' made you drop your 'Lion Claws,' and that grim reaper deal you've got going right now really isn't scaring me. I'm stronger, taller, and better than you are, so don't get cocky, or the pain will be worse."

Tenchuu clenched his teeth, twisting himself about the waist to allow a better spin, his eyes locked on his opponent.

"Nope, doesn't scare me at all." The man raised his hands up, his jacket hanging loosely on his shoulders and moving gently in the breeze. "So, are you going to try some more?"

> > >

Aki glanced around. Not out front. Turning, she raced towards the edge of the building, around it in a counter–clockwise direction. Her feet pushed across the ground, stiff despite the warm weather but not slippery at all. She had to find Sauske or Tenchuu, since one would lead her to the other, and . . . there!

It was Sauske!

She bolted forward faster, running out into the field.

"_TENCHUU!"_

Next Chapter: The tall fighter seems to know something, but beating him in a fight and exacting revenge takes precedence over understanding his reasons.

* * *

All right! A chapter on time! That is the end of chapter thirty three. It's the start of a lot, but, if you all will keep reading, I'll keep writing until everything is finished. So, please, keep reading. Oh, and review too. That's always good to get. As for the chapter, I had a bit of trouble with the fight scenes, the lunches, and it isn't as great a start for this day as I hoped, but it sets up the events for the next few chapters. Seems it turned out okay. 

Anyway, on with the reviews.

Shinjiku: To be totally, brutally honest, at that moment, yes, Aki meant what she said. But feelings do change over time for some people (coughAkaneandRanmacough), and that will happen in many cases to many characters. Who it will be, . . . well, that's in the future. All I can really say is that they have gotten along pretty well so far, compared to how they acted around each other in the beginning. And that the possibility is there for all sorts of relationships for many characters, with Sauske and Aki definitely being one of them. And I hope this chapter was a bit better than the last one.

Sleepingbear: Don't worry if you like Kukri over Keira from last chapter. I agree with what you're saying. Keira was being overzealous, stubborn, and vengeful against a person that, really, didn't do anything wrong. I'm glad you, and many other people who reviewed, picked up on that. Keira's just acting as she is. It's her nature. She plans well, but she doesn't change the plans when she needs to sometimes. As for overdeveloped sense of vengeance, I don't know if it's that or just . . . angry for a really long time, since her friend did get the crap beaten out of her the day before. Most people trust their friends over strangers; that's human nature, even if it's not always right. But, Keira will continue to grow and mature, as will many other characters, like Aki and Ganko have. And Kukri's part I the story will be returning sooner than you think, as you might be able to infer from this chapter. As for the final scene . . . yes, I did raise a lot of questions. In fact, there's more that haven't appeared yet. But that's what using to drive the story; the unknown. So don't worry, I'll answer them all. It will just . . . take some time. I think, however, it will be a fun trip getting there. And if you watch carefully, you might start to pick up some information about them before it's explicitly told. Like all the characters in the story.

nonengle Hey, don't give up on Keira! Failure can be better than success for a person. It gives them a drive to improve and try again. I'm glad you enjoyed the fight anyway, though. Maybe this one lived up to expectations.

Paige C: Again, I understand exactly what you are saying. What Keira did was beyond what she should have done. But that's Keira. If Ranma was in the same situation, I believe he would fight until he was pummeled into the ground just like Keira. He's just usually good enough to win and seem incredibly great by succeeding in the jaws of defeat. But, Keira should have dropped out. The more I look at it, though, I realize that Keira is a **tiny** bit in the right. Kukri doesn't attack someone if they tell her to stop, as far as we've seen. She is always willing to stop if they want to. But if nobody tells her to, she doesn't. It's not a good thing or a bad thing, she does what her opponents will let her do. If they want to keep fighting, she will. That might make her a bit heartless, or opportunistic . . . or any number of things. She's not cruel, but not merciful either. I'm glad so many people are taking her side over Keira's (although that might be because they don't like Keira or something). In the end, though, it comes down to just stubbornness that Keira couldn't live up to. As for Sauske being angry, of course he was, including being angry at Keira for going too far **and **Kukri for continuing her constant barrage despite Keira obviously being defeated. All he did differently was hold himself back, instead of challenging Kukri again.

BTW, I emailed you a little bit after I posted the last chapter and before your review, and, after finding out you apparently hadn't gotten it, resent it a little bit before posting this one. If you still haven't gotten it, let me know. And, anyone else who wants extra stuff for drawing the characters . . . tell me now, while I'm already working on it.


	34. Backroad Crossing

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma ½_, nor claim to.

Chapter Thirty Four: Backroad Crossing:

"If I seem bleak, well, you'd be correct. And if I don't speak, it's because I can't disconnect. But I won't be burned by the reflections of the fire in your eyes as you're staring at the sun!" The Offspring: _Staring at the Sun_

The door slid shut behind them. "We're home!" Amy shouted loudly as the two children slid out of their shoes.

"Hey!" Nabiki said cheerfully as she quickly walked in. "How was the last day before vacation?"

"Great!" Auska replied, stepping up onto the floor, smiling up at her aunt.

Nabiki was about to reply, when she paused. Glancing back and forth between the two girls, she blinked several times. "Where's Joseph?"

"Oh, . . . something happened, so . . . he said the teacher wanted him to stay after school. He told us we should head home without him." Amy was oddly nervous as she spoke.

Nabiki sighed, leaning against the wall and rubbing her forehead. "What has he done this time?"

> > >

"_TENCHUU!"_ Aki screamed, stopping at the edge of the field.

A swift, quiet breeze could be heard rushing by.

"Aki?" Sauske asked, looking over at the steaming girl, who looked quite confused all of a sudden. "What are you doing here?"

"Where is Tenchuu!" Aki shouted.

The boy looked over at his sister and Keira. They were all standing by the fence behind home plate on the baseball field. Other than the thre of them, and now Aki, the playing field was completely empty. The two girls glanced at each other, then turned to him and shrugged. Sauske turned back to his fiancee. "We don't know."

"You . . . don't know?"

Sauske shook his head. "He should be here soon, though. We think." Sakura replied, glancing at the side of Sauske's bag. He tied a watch there last year so he didn't have to wear one on his wrist. "It's almost three."

Aki paused, before nodding, and turning around in place, reading herself to tackle her brother if he came this way. Which she was almost sure he was going to.

> > >

The lot was a concave, depressed field surrounded by chain link. In all, it seemed almost senseless. It may still be suburb, but its simple fact of being open land was mind-boggling. Why have it? It wasn't a park, it wasn't useful, and it was barren. The only thing unique was the tree which sat in one corner: large, thick, gnarled, and worthless, the dead brown leaves still hanging on. It was nowhere, a seemingly waste of all time and effort. Much like the battle raging atop it. Although, deep down, everything must have a purpose. Both did. But only Nature and the man knew what they were, respectively.

"_Are you afraid of death!"_ Tenchuu shouted, running forward, the scythe blades sticking through the ends of his sleeves were trailing behind him like wings, his feet pulsing on the ground, speeding his form forward in a zig-zagging path.

The man stood, his tall gray-sand tan hair still in its tower shape, spiked tall into a column, his eyes staring through orange sunglasses. "His aura's still haven't been cast yet," he thought to himself, still calm in his stance, arms raised and feet spread apart slightly with bent knees, "but what's hidden below is pretty good. He's got some skill. Plus, it doesn't look like my kick hurt him too bad. The darts might have, but my kick didn't. This could be fun." His smile curled to one side. "Haven't fought like this in a little while."

Ten meters. Tenchuu narrowed his eyes behind his thick glasses, watching intently at his opponent. This man attacked for no reason, bringing him here to no place in particular for a battle just because he seemed to want it. Maybe, if he had been challenged, he would have left, like the man had said. Maybe. But it didn't matter. Five meters away. He was fighting now. He had already been hit, had already witnessed his attacks fail. This man chose to drag him into battle. Three meters. That was already determined. Two meters. Now, Tenchuu would end it. One meter.

"_Ebbing Blades!"_ Tenchuu shouted, kicking himself up straight and twisting his entire body, as well as turning his left arm over, spinning on the ball of one foot, the other holding his body balanced on the one steady leg. The tips of the scythes went against the spin, ready to claw into the nameless man.

Stepping back, the man kept a tiny distance away from the whirling edges, letting them whisk harmlessly past him, only centimeters from his body, each rotation at the same distance from him as it was before, even though both bodies were further along, leaving a thin trail of stomped and parted grass as they moved. The air whipped along his chest, moving with the pirouetting Amazon, each turn a tiny gust against his shirt.

Dropping his foot down, Tenchuu ended his spin, before pushing himself forward faster than a moment ago. His right arm slashed down, ripping through space unhindered. Stepping and rotating his shoulders to allow his movement, his left arm crossed his body and then slashed back across, digging deeply into the breeze.

The man leaned and retreated again as the boy's right blade raced up. He rolled his shoulders away, letting the tip just miss at it's closest point. His height kept him towering over the black haired teen, and his long legs made it easy to retreat as far as he needed. Experience let him stay as close as he wanted.

Tenchuu, losing patience at the man's dodges, raised up both arms across each other, the left blade cutting ever so slightly into his right sleeve before jumping forward and slashing with both scythes together, making a large "X" as they raced towards their intended victim.

Who stepped again, leaning out of the way, although at a bit further distance this time. But it didn't matter, since now, both of Tenchuu's arms were swung aside, and that meant his whole front was open. So, the unknown assailant promptly stepped back in, running his fist straight out into Tenchuu's gut, right on one of the red lines where he had been sliced.

Gasping in pain, Tenchuu's arms drooped a bit under the shock. It wasn't too strong, but soon, it wasn't the last one either. WHUMP! Another punch, this time to the chest with the left hand. WHUMP WHUMP! Tenchuu could feel himself stumbling back. SMACK! His cheek felt the calloused knuckles beat into his jaw, forcing the boy's head to turn and fall back.

Instead of stepping forward for another punch, the man raised his knee, before kicking out straight with his foot, plunging it into the Amazon's stomach again, shoving him back. Stepping into strike range immediately, the man repeated the move, impaling his thick, heavy boot into Tenchuu's abdomen, bringing another struggled gasp from the boy. Allowing the Chinese teen to stumble away a bit more, the man turned his body perpendicular to his prey, before bringing the same right knee up again.

"RAAGH!" he shouted, stabbing out with his heel again in a powerful side kick.

Tenchuu blurted out a labored gasp as he felt the air forced from his lungs and immediately tried to draw it in. Tossed backwards, the white robes whipping on his skin in the air as he flew, the Amazon male had nothing to do but stare at the sun while crashing powerfully onto the ground, sliding back, his head knocking away several small rocks, the blades dragging along the dying grass.

His body crumpled onto itself when it slowed, trying to lower the pain by pulling in on the injured areas, cuddling them with the other painful parts. But the movements did nothing, only amplifying the burning of his wounds and bruises.

The man lowered his foot down, still smirking at his fallen opponent.

Slowly, Tenchuu rolled over, facing away, still curled. His body convulsed a bit, before pausing. Then, he convulsed again.

BLOUUGH!

"Ah, how the mighty Amazons have fallen."

Tenchuu glared at nowhere, his back still towards his opponent, wiping traces of vomit from his chin and ignoring the patch on the ground. Taking a deep breath, he placed his hands flat on the dirt to support himself better. "I not finished."

"Oh, really?" He chuckled once. "You seem to be struggling to hold down your own lunch."

"I not finished."

"Are you hoping for some amazing, miraculous save from the jaws of defeat?"

"I **not** finished." Tenchuu began leaning onto his feet, continuing to take deep breaths.

"Or, are you just losing your mind?"

The Amazon, prepped, rolled back onto his feet, standing up instantly, turning back with flaring eyes, staring through the thick glass. "I not finished!" he screamed, clenching his hands as he raised the blades around himself, legs bent to run again.

> > >

"Uh, Aki? . . . What are you waiting for over there?" Sauske asked eventually, loud enough for the girl to hear.

She ignored him, working through her own thoughts. _"He should have gotten here by now!"_

"Aki?"

"_He must have been held back a bit. Father must've needed him to fix something in the restaurant. He is never late without a good reason. He must be on his way by now!"_

"Aki? Is something wrong?"

"_Enough! I'll go after him! He'll come the same way he always comes . . . no, wait, he'll probably take a detour past that abandoned lot; that way he won't pass me going . . . of course! He must be going that way!"_

Sauske began to walk towards the Amazon, Sakura and Keira following behind him. "Aki? Are you looking for your brother?" He offered, still hoping for some kind of response.

She shouted _"I've got you now!"_ before bolting off around the side of the school and disappearing out of sight near the front gate.

They all stared at her running off, unsure what to make of the girl's sudden shout.

For a moment, nobody said anything, before Keira broke the silence by muttering, "What's she doing?" and shaking her head.

Sauske stared. "Does she really want to break up the fight?"

"It makes sense." Sakura replied, staring with her brother. "Tenchuu did say to not tell Aki about the fight."

The boy nodded, as silence began to pervade the trio.

"Is she gone?"

There was a pause, before the three turned at the new voice, looking back towards the baseball diamond again. It only took a moment to see what had changed. There was a familiar boy watching them, while also glancing around for any sign of Aki returning.

"Chii? What are **you **doing here?" Sakura asked, blinking as the Amazon began to walk towards the three of them, smiling pleasantly.

"Did Aki cleave?" he said hopefully.

There was a pause, before the kendoist nodded for the three of them. "Yes, she **left**."

"Where's Tenchuu?"

"We don't know." Sauske replied, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand, leaving his bag in the other hand perfectly still. "He was supposed to be here by now."

Chii tilted his head as he came to a stop in front of them. "What time is it?"

Keira glanced at the watch. "Three o' six."

The Amazon's eyes widened. "He's late?"

The three Japanese teens nodded.

"That late?"

They nodded again.

He sighed, thinking while rubbing his chin. "That's odd. He's always on time for things. Fights influted." Another pause, before Chii meekly repeated, "In**clu**ded."

Sakura turned back to look down the path Aki had run. "Well, it looks like Aki went out after him. I guess it doesn't matter anymore."

Chii shook his head. "No, I'd wait. Aki will beat him up, I can tell you, but he'll probably show up anyway, if only to challenge you again."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I'd wait. Besides, you never know. He might take you on with a broken wrist. He used to be quite a fighter."

Sakura blinked, before narrowing her eyes. "Why did you come down here, Chii?"

The boy turned to her, a bit shocked. "What? Is it wrong to enjoy watching fights?"

"Is that all?"

"Actually, yes. There is nothing new to see except Sauske fight."

The two Saotomes stared at the Amazon for a moment, before Sauske shrugged and sighed. "Well, I guess I can wait here longer. There's nothing else to do today."

"That's the spirit!" Chii cheered.

Keira stared at the Amazon for a moment. He was wearing a plain, short sleeved shirt, appropriate for the warm weather, with those white bandages along his arms obviously freshly changed, as they were snow white and smooth along his forearms, extending under the white fabric of his sleeves. His pants were a gentle tan, sandy in color, meshing oddly with his shortened silver hair.

"Wait . . ." Keira thought, blinking. "Shortened?" She began to speak. "Chii, what happened to your hair?"

He visibly began to sweat. "What do you mean?"

"You cut it." Keira pointed at him. "You cut off your ponytail."

Chii paused, chewing on his top lip a moment, before smiling. "Oh, that? It, uh, got burned in a . . . kitchen fire. So I brimmed some off."

"Trimmed?" Sakura replied.

"Uh, yeah, I mean, I trimmed some off." He sighed. "Got to be more careful in there."

"Is everyone okay?" Keira asked, concerned.

"Yeah, my parents won't mind about it. It's just hair."

"I meant the fire."

"What fire?" he asked nervously.

"The **kitchen **fire?"

"Oh, **that **fire. Yeah, everyone's fine! No worries! Just a little . . . kitchen fire. We put it out, I got my hair burned off, and then we started cleaning everything else up."

Keira stared at him perceptively, before relaxing. It wasn't important. He was right. It was just a little change. Besides, what difference did it make. He seemed okay with it. No need to pursue the issue.

> > >

"You really think you can win?" the man asked, his hands and legs already back in their fighting stance.

Tenchuu nodded strongly, his eyes burning in inner strength. The man simply sighed in reply, before the two of them readied for the final act.

The Amazon knew it was the end. He had gone soft. His body was weak. That powerful beating left him exhausted. He wasn't the fighter he used to be, ever since they had come here. He had let his skills slide. But there was no time to worry about that. He was running out, and so he needed to focus on what he was doing now. Not what happened before.

The man began running forward. It was time for him to take the initiative, and bring this fight to a halt. He had wasted enough time here. This would be the end.

Tenchuu lowered himself, his arms sweeping back. The distance was closing, and his arms twisted slightly as he waited for his opponent to approach. He waited three seconds, three agonizingly long seconds. Suddenly, his arms swung forward, well out of striking distance of his assailant. _"Dragon's Claws!" _he shouted, the man ignoring the strange movement.

When his arms crossed his front, though, something unusual happened. The scythes released, crossing over a little as they shot forward at a blistering pace towards the man, both blades connected to his arms by a thin rope.

The man, while a bit shocked at the assault, continued on anyway. He wouldn't stop, not for some flying blades. The weapons shot up to him, before he leaned far to the right, letting the first one whiz by harmlessly. Reversing his movement, he rolled left to escape the second incoming sickle. SCHINK! But didn't.

The corner scraped through his jacket and shirt, cutting into his right shoulder. He grimaced at it, but the cut was too shallow to worry. Besides, he was close.

Tenchuu reacted immediately. He swung his arms back, grabbing and stopping the chains, attempting to pull the blades straight back the way they came.

Seeing the lines reverse direction, the nameless man simply charged faster, before snapping up his left leg. Jumping the last meter and a half, he kicked out his raised foot.

Tenchuu stumbled as the man planted his boot into one of his shoulders, before he noticed the other one coming towards him. CRUNCH! The right toe of his boot smashed into his face, splitting his glasses in two, and knocking the Amazon down and away again.

The man flipped, letting the returning blades whoosh by underneath himself and over Tenchuu, before twisting his body so that his feet could be planted firmly onto the ground again. He crouched a little as he landed, but Tenchuu had it worse, sliding along the ground a bit, kicking up a bit of loose dirt and leaving another trail in the dead grass. The scythes finally crashed down, fifteen meters away, the ropes reaching their limit and stopping their speedy flight.

Tenchuu turned sideways on the ground, trying to get up when the man ran forward, kicking the boy across the earth. Tenchuu gasped loudly, tumbling and rolling towards the weapons, his robes caked with dirt and bits of plant life. He laid on his back for a moment, panting, before he felt a new surge of pain.

CRUNCH!

"GAAAH!" he screamed, feeling two boots jam into his stomach.

The man scowled, feeling his own stomach knot at the battle, but inside, he knew there was no choice. He had to be ruthless. There could be no prisoners and no mercy. Even if the fight was more than just one sided. He slid his feet back off the boy, who stared up in the air, huffing for what little air he could take in.. The man paused, before quietly muttering, "Sorry."

Then, he jammed his right foot into the boy's stomach again.

"GAAAH!"

"_TENCHUU!" _a female voice screamed from across the field. The man turned, looking to see a buxom, blue haired Chinese girl staring at them from the other side of the fence. Her face was frozen in pale fear, before the chain began shaking as the girl clambered up and jumped over, running to them.

"It has to be done." he thought to himself, before turning back to the fallen Amazon male. "HWAACH! . . . PTUU!" The spit missed the boy by a wide margin, but the effect was enough, as the girl began running faster. The man turned away and began to walk off. He needed some distance from this girl. If his hunch was right, she was an Amazon, and Tenchuu was her husband, or husband to be, at least. As he walked, he wondered if it might be Aspen that he married. True, he wasn't exactly sure she was an Amazon, with the ordinary Japanese school uniform, but the hairstyle was distinctly theirs.

"_Tenchuu!" _she shouted again as she dropped to his side, brushing his face with both hands. The girl stared in horror at the scene. He was bruised, bleeding, and unconscious. Most of the bleeding had actually stopped, but the red stains hid that fact. Besides, there was dirt trapped in every wound. And not all of them had stopped.

Now, distanced from the girl at Tenchuu's side, the man turned back. And gasped.

Aki brushed the last of the thick layer of dirt from Tenchuu's forehead, staring at him, her face pale. She hated herself. The whole time, since she heard Keira saying her brother challenged Sauske to a fight, she had been thinking about that argument the two of them had a few days ago in front of Pai. Now, she couldn't remember a single word from it.

All she could think of was the time her brother agreed to walk with her into the hills when she was nine. The time he carried her from swimming in the river because she was too tired to walk when she was five. The time he helped teach her to fight with a sword. The time he gave her all the extra food when they got lost in the woods last year. That was all she could think of at the moment. Well, that, and one other thing.

How much she hated the person who did this to her brother.

She turned her head to his attacker, staring with those oval eyes, black hatred set in the center. "Who are you!"

The man, obviously not much older than wether Aki or her brother, a few years at most, was silent for a moment, staring at the Amazon with a bit of fear. Then, he gained control of himself, before relaxing. His voice was calm when he spoke. "Me? The name's Kakekomi. You?"

She glared at him more, before flatly answering, "Aki."

His eye twitched. "You got a problem?"

"Why did you do this?"

In his mind, he reminded himself about ruthlessness. "Cause I wanted to."

"Sounds like a good reason . . . for me too."

His head tilted. "Oh, for what?"

There was a bright flash of red, mixed with the sound of running feet on dirt. Kakekomi saw the girl run, but was caught off guard.

WHAM!

He felt her fist smash into his chest, knocking him back, before he recovered, leaning to the right and out of the way of her next punch.

Aki didn't let up on her assault. Her huge aura, at least eight times her size, and a strong red, gave her the power she so desperately craved right now. Her right arm swung out, punching three times, before she hooked across with her left, then jumping and kicking out with her foot. The man switched between dodging and blocking, keeping all her other attacks after her first hit at bay.

Shoving her foot aside with his right hand, he uppercut the girl in the body, knocking her back. Both fighters stepped away, Aki after landing unceremoniously on her feet, Kakekomi as his arms switched back into a defensive position. They began circling one another.

"She's fast. Much faster than her brother." He examined the damaged part of her green aura, only slightly tinted by his orange sunglasses. "Not quite as tough, but she doesn't seem to want to let up. Her gold aura certainly shows how much she hates me." The spiked golden sphere swirling around her was totally focused on him, just as he thought. It was rage.

Her red aura settled a bit, lowering to about three times her size. For an ordinary fighter, however, that was far above the norm, and Aki knew it. She knew she was angry. But she didn't care as she stared at the auraless man. She wanted to bring this "Stampede" into the ground. And it didn't matter what it took.

Kakekomi openly stared at her, examining the color swirling around. He smiled. The aura burst was quite effective. Being able to both act as a mirage, making it seem like a huge burst of power when it was not, or to actually drive up the strength and speed, depending on the users whims, allowed Aki the ability to trick her opponent's exact understanding of her power. But it's flaw is the same flaw evident in every aura technique. Using it too often will be exhausting. She settled into her normal aura to continue the fight. And so much aura was there.

He smiled more, before curling his fingers and relaxing them twice, giving the "Come on!" sign. Aki responded easily, charging in. And the battle began again, she on the offensive, he withdrawing back and to the side.

> > >

"SAUSKE!" Naruto shouted, running next to the side of the building. "I've got you now!"

"Naruto?" Sauske asked, watching the boy slide to a stop a short distance away, fire in his eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"You didn't go home! We have our fight today!"

Keira sighed. "Naruto, do you have to do this **every **day?"

"I'm going to beat him, Keira! Today's the day!"

"Will you all stop shouting!" Sakura shouted, bringing about silence, before turning to Naruto. "What the hell did you bring your brother for?"

Kite, rounding the corner of the building with a bottle of water in hand, simply shrugged. "So the nose still works?" Sakura glared at him. "I heard Keira stomped Naruto into the ground. I figured I'd tag along today, just in case she did it again."

Naruto face darkened, but Sakura spoke up first. "You still smell like farm, Kite. How could my nose not work?" Kite began walking a little faster, approaching the group. "I'm sure even you could have smelled your own foul odor from back here. What did you do, roll around in between those trees while you were in . . ."

Kite cleared his throat, bringing Sakura's attention back up to him. She noticed the water bottle, with the cap already removed, being held in an odd position. The perfect one for throwing. "Hey, Sakura, can you feel rain?" The subject was immediately dropped.

"Aaaaanyy-waaayyyyyy," Naruto began, before turning to his rival. "SAUSKE! Let's go! RIGHT NOW!"

Sauske sighed, speaking in his usual calm voice. "Naruto, I'm busy today. Can't it wait?'

"Busy! Doing what!"

"Tenchuu's already challenge me to a fight. I'm just waiting for him."

"Yeah, sure." Naruto pointed an accusing finger at the boy. "A likely excuse!"

Chii sighed, interlocking his hands behind his head and walking off a bit to get away from the argument. Sauske shook his head. "It's true, Naruto."

"Really? Then why isn't he here yet!"

**BOOOM!**

WHOOOoooooooo . . .

Everyone froze as the explosion noise filled the air . . . and a thick rumble rolled through the ground for a single moment in time. . . . Nobody said anything as they looked towards the place where they thought the sound came from.

Unfortunately, . . . that view was blocked by the school.

Keira gulped. "Was that . . . an earthquake?"

Kite shook his head. "No, that was definitely not an earthquake. . . . Something exploded." He looked to Sakura and Sauske. "Let's go check it out."

Sakura nodded, and the two seventeen year olds took off without missing another beat. Chii, interested, quickly followed. Keira waited for a moment as Sauske sighed, and then two of them raced off after the other three.

Naruto turned to ask something, before realizing that Sauske and Keira were already gone around the school. There was a pause as he thought over the situation. "Hey! Wait for me!" And then he went off after them.

Next Chapter: The pilot light is on, and the inferno is about to return; who will he take on?

* * *

Well, that's the end of chapter 34! Hooray! Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up, especially after I thought I was going to get this one up on time. And I really don't know if I'm going to get the next one up on time. If I do, it will be out before the week is done, probably Friday. If not, I should have it by next week, normal time. I had really wanted to get to the Christmas episode before I reached the one year mark of this story, but if I get everything up on time, I'll only miss it by one. Yes, it will be Christmas in May! 

So, that's the plan for the next two weeks. I think I'll be able to get it all done in time. But before we get to the reviews, I want to thank all of you reviewers! It's great for me to get messages from you all, and it keeps me going! Please keep it up! Which brings me to point two: I want to run a little survey through you people, to gauge where I need to work on my story. Who is your favorite couple, or the two people you want to see get together (And it doesn't have to be, although it can be, Sauske x someone)? I think I asked this before, but nobody answered, so I'm going to try again! It's a simple question, and you can just tack the answer right on with any other review you're doing, even if it's just a quick half a sentence response.

(UPDATE: 4/12/05): Okay, there was a mistake in this story, where I forgot to change Kakekomi's name. So, fixed that for those of you who already read it. Just so you know.

Anyway, on with the reviews:

Sleepingbear: Why are you thinking Vash the Stampede? . . . Hmm . . . A better question is . . . why is nobody **else** thinking that! Because that character **is **visually based off Vash the Stampede from _Trigun_, with some minor changes (less complicated clothing design, sandrock-tan hair instead of yellowish blond, etc.). To be fair, though, I only did it because of the sunglasses.

Blueramza: YAY! A new reviewer who likes my story! Thank you!

Shinjiku: Well, I'm glad you still like the story too! As for Aki and Sauske, I can't tell you that, because I hate giving away the plot to any story. But I will say things will improve between most of the characters. That includes not just Sauske and Aki, but also Keira, Chii, Tenchuu, Mayu, Sakura, Ganko, Naruto, Kukri, Kite, Tabakatsu, and a whole list of others! And that's as specific as I'm going to get.

nonengle: Well, you were curious how the fight would resolve, and it's still not resolved! So, hope you enjoyed it. And thanks for clearing up your comments about the fight with Keira and Kukri. I'm glad you liked it!

Paige C: You couldn't wait for this chapter, so . . . there you go! And you don't hate Keira, which I'm sure most people don't, which makes me happy! And I'm glad, albeit two weeks later that I finally get around to officially telling you this, that we have the whole strange email-mess thingy cleaned up! So, thanks again!

Batanga: YAY! Another new reviewer who likes my story! WHOO HOO!


	35. Directed Napalm

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma ½_, nor claim to.

Chapter Thirty Five: Directed Napalm:

"I'll tell you now you can't win this; you're way too slow. I'll tell you now I'm gonna take this. Did you come here to watch me burn?" Three Days Grace: _Burn_

"Hurry up, Kite!" Sakura shouted, jumping the corner of the wall quickly, trying to approach the source of the explosion.

The boy jumped high into the air, clearing the small wall without even trying, before landing on the ground and racing to keep up with her. "Right behind ya!"

They had seen a plume of smoke rising in the distance. It had faded quite quickly, even for smoke, but the two of them had remembered where it had been flowing from instantly. There were no other shapes or forms like it, and the sky, besides the occasional cloud, was clear. Whatever that explosion was, that was where it had come from.

> > >

Chii raced behind them, rounding the corner. He didn't feel too good, though, at this moment. That training had taken a lot out of him, and he was starting to feel his muscles burn from the short distance they had run. Then again, he wasn't the best runner out there, he just won fights fast instead of enduring them. Well, as long as he kept Sakura and Kite in sight, he wouldn't get lost and they'd lead him to the source.

> > >

Sauske ran along and towards the corner, trying to figure out the direction to that plume himself while also following Chii. Keira was right behind him, racing along the fences and walls, but she was having trouble even keeping up with him.

Sauske turned sharply at the corner before stopping. He saw Keira struggling, which brought the boy to a screeching halt. She continued running to reach him, which took several moments, surprisingly. Once she caught up, she dropped down from the fence and walked the last few steps to him, before stumbling. "Keira, are you all right!" Sauske asked, grasping the girl on the shoulders to hold her up.

The girl paused, panting as sweat dripped on her face. They had only been running a few minutes? Was she really that low on energy? Her body was burning, but she forced out a weak smile as she looked to him with the brown eyes she had. "Sorry, Sauske-kun. I'm . . . a little tired right now."

"Here, let's stop." He motioned for them to sit down on the curb, but the girl pushed him off. "Keira?"

"No, it's all right. Let's keep going. I . . . I'll be all right." The girl took several deep breaths, which helped, but not much. "I'm all right, Sauske-kun. Really."

The boy waited a moment, before nodding solemnly. "All right, Keira, . . . let's go then." They turned and began running again. Although Keira quickly noticed they weren't running quite as fast as before. This time, she didn't mind going slow. She really didn't have the energy to do more right now.

> > >

WHAM! CHA CHA CHING-ING-ING! The fence shook as the two teens smashed into it, staring into the empty lot. It didn't take long to find anyone. There were a few people along the fence, staring in as well, but nobody they knew or seemed to know what was going on. In the field, though, there obviously was someone.

A man, standing tall with a large red trenchcoat and spiked up hair, a pair of orange sunglasses sitting in front of his eyes. He gently walked forward, leaving the center of a small, thin crater in the middle of the field, his hands sitting in his pockets, and his eyes scanning the fences.

Chii came barreling in, crashing into the fence loudly. Kite and Sakura glanced over at him for a moment, before turning back to the man in the field. All three blinked as soon as they looked at him. He was staring directly at them. They stared at each other for a moment, the teens through the chainlink fence and the man over his shoulder, before he turned to face them completely.

Chii gulped as soon as he did. There was a lot of dust on his coat, and small rips and tears, but nothing like the sliced shoulder. The bleeding had stopped, but there was a red stain there. It was fresh, he could tell that, and the color was just off enough of the red trenchcoat to tell that there really wasn't much there. He had still been cut, though. Why?

Kite could hear two more runners coming up, although still a little ways away, as the man raised his arm and extended it far to his side. His finger pointed off in a single way, holding steady. The runners got closer as they turned to see where he was pointing.

Chii shouted first, although the other two joined in midway through. "AKI!" he shouted, seeing the girl face down on the ground, unmoving, sprawled on the ground. The position told him that she was either unconscious or dead. It was more likely the first, but he couldn't tell from this far away.

"Aki!" Sauske shouted, still running up. "Where!"

Chii ignored him, digging his fingers around the links of the fence, and pulling himself up, grabbing onto the bar along the top and jumping over it and onto the dirt on the other side. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he started running, his body feeling stronger all of a sudden.

Seeing his sister and Kite climbing over the fence as well, and Chii already running off, Sauske decided to forget asking and just jumped the fence instead of stopping to look. He cleared it safely, but had an awkward landing, stumbling several steps before turning and chasing after Chii. After a moment, Sakura and Kite were over as well, with Keira clambering up behind them.

> > >

The man pressed the sunglasses up on his face, staring at the teens running to the girl. The first one was definitely Chinese and, since he knew the girl's name, almost certainly an Amazon. He wasn't going to guess who it was this time, like he had when Tenchuu fell, but he doubted it would be tough to figure out.

The other four running up to her behind him were all obviously Japanese. The only one that stood out in the first instant was the last one, the girl with brown hair. The sword behind her waist, and the kunai along her arm: she was a ninja. Glancing at her left arm, he saw no bandannas or insignias tied there, flipped or otherwise. A family ninja, not a clan ninja. That was a good sign. No way would these people figure him out.

He turned back to the Amazon. His aura was weak and thin, barely extending out while in its uncast form. The green aura was a lackluster performance as well, thin and dented from use. No threat.

The next boy caught his eye. There was something wrong with him. No, his green aura was pristine, and quite strong. Not necessarily exemplar, but a par above the norm. Checking the others, the tallest girl and boy both had strong green auras as well, while the ninja was lacking and dented, probably from over-use of her chakra. And none of their gold auras were surprising; all either worried or concerned or some sort of emotion for Aki. Nothing too unusual. But that boy, his battle auras . . . it was like nothing he had seen before.

Certainly, he hadn't been able to see auras as clearly as he did now for very long, but he had never seen someone **missing **an entire aura. This boy, with black hair and running easily in a school uniform, had no blue battle aura. His red one was quite thick, and ordinarily sized for a person, and those skills showed. He had to be well versed in martial arts, or some sort of sport, to be able to jump a two meter chain link fence and turn that hard when he hit the dirt at almost ten kilometers per hour. But to be missing his entire aura? He had never even heard of that happening.

Well, no, with focus, someone could draw in an aura to make it invisible, that was true. But could anyone draw it in tight enough for him to not be able to see it? And why would he be holding in his blue aura? Was there any reason to hold it back? Something was odd here.

But, he wasn't worried. He'd seen weirder things and come out okay. Besides, that red aura wasn't much for a basic. How much could there be?

> > >

"Aki!" Chii shouted as he dropped onto the ground, flipping the girl over onto her back. She rolled clumsily and without resistance. But she was breathing. The boy sighed a little, relieved that she was just unconscious, before seeing her body. His eyes widened in shock.

Sauske was next to him immediately, staring down at the girl, held up in an angled sitting position by her brother, facing the sky. He stopped moving the second he saw her condition.

She was shredded.

Her clothes were torn and ripped, not in large tears, but hundreds of windswept pulls and splits. The blouse was dusty and grass stained, while the skirt was muddy and torn as well. She didn't look wounded, but he couldn't tell. Her clothes were certainly ruined, and there was a bruise on her chin where she had been hit with an uppercut.

The boy dropped down next to Chii, who was dusting off her face. His arms dropped to his sides, as he just looked her over, trying to understand, trying to comprehend who would do this to a person. His left hand slid forward, finding hers resting on the ground, before grasping and squeezing it gently. There was no movement from her hand. It just sat, resting in his. He hated that feeling.

Sakura and Kite stared over the boys' shoulders, shocked, before turning back to the man, a distance long off. "Who are you!" Sakura shouted, drawing her wooden sword from her belt, holding it up in front of herself, ready to fight. Kite slid into a fighting stance as well.

Keira ran up and stopped at the fallen Amazon's feet, seeing the destruction for herself. She was taken aback by the damage, before turning up at the sound of Kite's voice.

"What'd you do this for, huh! You have something against Aki!"

The man looked at them calmly for several seconds, glancing between one and the other, and occasionally at the other three behind them, before turning to Kite. "No, nothing."

"Then what were you fighting about!" Sakura shouted back.

"What? . . . Hmm, well," he said, before pausing. He reminded himself he needed to be ruthless now, no matter what the cost. "I felt like pounding on her."

"W-what!" Sakura replied, paling a bit. "You did this because you . . . felt like it!"

Sauske squeezed Aki's hand again.

Kite clenched his teeth. "Why don't you take **us **on then!"

"STOP!"

Everyone, including the man, paused at the voice.

Sauske released the Amazon's hand, before slowly, almost painfully slowly, he rolled onto his feet, and stood up straight as a tree. With one motion, he turned around, stepping up to Kite and Sakura. "Don't get involved this time. I'll do this. By myself." And then he began walking forward.

> > >

Ranma was running the class on his own today. Akane sighed. Normally she would have been helping, but there was something eating at the back of her mind. Something dark and calloused was there, and she couldn't tell what it was. She had helped for the first part of the basic class, but after a while, the break in focus was becoming too much, and she excused herself. It wasn't that Kuno thing they had talked of earlier. No, that had been settled.

* * *

"Can ya believe it, Ak-chan?" Ranma mused as he sat in the dojo. Akane was warming up in the middle of the room, while Ranma was meditating at the back, under the nameplates. Aburame Kiba to be exact. 

"Believe what?"

"That we invited the Kunos to the Christmas party this year?"

Akane paused for a moment, not moving, before continuing with her routine. "Well, we did."

"I get that. But **why** did we?"

"Sakura wanted us to." Akane replied automatically, without the definite tone of a confident response.

"Still, this is Kuno Tatekawi we're talkin' about." Ranma lowered his head. "He probably still doesn't know that I was . . . that girl."

"What, 'The Pig-tailed Goddess?' " Akane replied sarcastically.

"Don't rub it in. That's somethin' I wish I could forget."

Akane giggled a bit, before continuing with her exercise. "Well, he's coming. So, just don't get splashed or anything."

Ranma nodded ever so slightly. "What about you?"

"I'll make sure to never be alone with him without something heavy." she muttered quietly to herself.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing. I'll just welcome him and then leave him to find someone else to talk to."

"Right."

"At least Kodachi won't be here."

Ranma nodded slightly again. This time, though, he said nothing. He just sat, returning to meditations, as Akane returned to her warm-ups. "What happened to her?"

"Huh?" Akane blurted out, stopping and turning to her husband and seeing him looking up at her with confused eyes. "What happened to who?"

"Kodachi."

"Oh. . . . I don't know. I haven't talked to Kuno for what, three or four years, when we saw him move back into his old home and became principal of Furinkan. And I haven't talked to either of them for at least ten years or so before that."

"Me neither. . . . But I just thought of it. I haven't heard anythin' about Kodachi."

"Well, she did move away after college. . . . Oh, Nabiki once said she married a rich guy from Osaka, and . . . did something . . . something . . . something about 'fill' . . . I can't remember."

"Didn't someone say somethin' about a fight at Furinkan with the Kunos?"

"Sauske said there was a girl fighting Keira named Kuno there yesterday. Tatekawi's only got a son."

"Yeah, that's right." He sat in thought for a moment. "Wait, does that mean . . ."

Akane's eyes widened. "Oh no, . . . she might live nearby too!"

"And, if Kuno's comin'," Ranma began.

Akane finished the though, "She might go along with him!"

Both of them sighed.

"Guess we just gotta' deal with it."

Akane nodded once, before returning to her exercise.

* * *

Why was she worried? It felt like something big was going to happen. Something sinister. She didn't like it. But right now, there was nothing she could do about it except be mentally ready. So, she applied herself to cleaning the kitchen, and trying to remain vigilant about what was going on around her. 

> > >

"Oh, you want something?" the man said loudly. Sauske didn't seem to notice, plodding towards him. Each step was focused and determined, showing great care and control.

At thirty meters away, the boy stopped. His eyes lowered to the ground as if in submission. "Why did you do this to Aki?"

The man blinked. That wasn't the reaction he was expecting. The boy's auras showed he was becoming . . . depressed? That didn't make any sense! But, without anything else to do about it, the man simply replied as he had planned. "I felt like it."

"You . . . felt like it?"

"Yep. I wanted a fight, so I beat them up. No skin off my back if people are weaklings. Don't get in my way if you are, that's what I say."

Sauske let his shoulders slump. "Is that what you really say? Do you really mean that?"

"Yep."

"Why? Why do you want to hurt people like that? What if they really get hurt? Forever and ever and such?"

Kakekomi took a deep breath. Ruthless. "Ain't my problem."

"No!" Sauske said loudly, strongly, for the first time in the conversation. The man looked at him funny for a moment, before the boy clenched his hands. In his mind, his thoughts were running. "I have to use it." He clenched his teeth. "I can't hold it back anymore. I have to use it." His body relaxed a little. "Sorry, everyone, but I have to. Even if I don't want to . . ."

His arms swung up into a fighting stance, elbows bent and forearms covering his face, while his legs spread apart a bit as his knees bent. His eyes, now angry, or enraged, stared out straight as they rose, settling on the other pair hidden behind the orange sunglasses. The man, although surprised, didn't flinch. He'd seen worse.

> > >

Sakura stared out at the two of them, shocked. Sauske hadn't brought out the aura yet. He was just standing, watching the man, ready to fight. "Sakura? What is it?" That was Kite. She turned to him, realizing she had been staring at her brother, before turning back to him anyway.

"He's going to use it." Sakura replied eventually, before swinging her sword around and sliding it into her belt.

"What makes you so sure?"

"He never talks like that unless he's going to." She paused, before turning around and looking to Chii. "How is she?"

Chii glanced over his shoulder. "She'll be all right. She's just unconscious."

Sakura nodded. "Well, that's good. But, what did . . ."

Kite interrupted her "Sakura!" The girl turned to him, and he pointed off at the two fighters.

> > >

Despite what he said to himself, Sauske was holding himself back. He wasn't going to let himself lose control anymore. But he was going to use the aura. How? He didn't know.

He took several deep breaths, before he slowly began moving forward. First, a determined trot, then a jog, then a run, then an all-out sprint. His hands were up near his head, ready to strike. But the red flame had not yet appeared.

Stampede watched his approach. The boy was not even trying to disguise his blatant drive forward, forgoing any sort of zig-zag pattern and simply bolting straight in. The man gently raised his arms up, ready to defend himself, hands loosely opened instead of tightly clenched. This aura was giving him trouble, and he wasn't quite sure how to react to it. And, peeking over the top of the orange lenses, he noted that the boy still lacked an outwardly activated one. Deciding on the traditional response, he raised his front foot ever so slightly off the ground.

Skipping over the empty, grass-free crater where the man had been standing before, the boy began to elongate his strides over the remaining distance to an almost leaping pace. Each giant step cut down the distance to his foe, and he would soon be in striking range. His foot slammed down, propelling him forward. Almost there. He dropped lower on his next step, before jumping straight, trying to end the last three meters in one step.

WHAM!

There was no squeal, no grunt, only a gentle moan of irritation as the sole of the boot met with the face of a teenager.

Sauske's body snapped ahead underneath him, thanks to the painful power of momentum, before the force of the kick propelled him back again. He didn't travel as far as he did when he jumped forward, and the crash onto his back wasn't nearly as clean as his run, with dirt and pebbles shoved aside as his head and shoulders dug into the earth. But he was unfazed.

The man, pulling his leg back in from the side kick, simply replaced it gently onto the ground as he watched the boy's acrobatic moves to stand. Sauske rolled onto the upper part of his back, before flinging his entire form forward, planting on his feet and standing at full height in a instant. His eyes were still bloodthirsty. But a new change took over as the arms that missed their first attack were raised to prepare for a second.

The fire began.

> > >

Chii glanced up at them as Kite exclaimed, "Here it comes!" His eyes trailed to Sauske, watching the gentle red aura release like every other fighter does. The only thing that could be considered incredible about it was the near opaque red color. The skill in that Saotome was exquisite and perfected. But it was still rage that drove the skill in this fight.

But it was the Akuma aura. It could be devastating to those who would use it. It was legendary among fighters with more than a basic interest in techniques. The power to multiply a person's strength to unimaginable levels. The tales surrounding it's origins were legends in their own right, let alone being the birth of the most powerful and feared aura technique in history. But Chii already knew all that.

Which is why it was so pitiful to see it's activation. Simply willing the force out like a rank amateur was all it took? He hated techniques like that. Those immeasurably secretive ones, where even the use is hidden from view. Then again, there was nothing to this aura beyond allowing incredible rage. He had been expecting something incredible from the technique, but what was it, beyond allowing a person to experience hatred at ungodly levels?

Nothing.

"Oh my god!" Sakura blurted out, her left foot sliding back. Chii glanced back at the fight, seeing the red aura at about three times Sauske's size, and holding steady. Both Sauske and the man hadn't moved an inch, and neither one seemed to be waiting out of fear. He turned back to Sakura, where both the other sideline fighters, Kite and Keira, were turned to her as well. "Look at his aura!"

> > >

Kite, standing to Sakura's right, looked at the boy. It was the bright, flickering red flame it was the night Happosai was finally defeated, only slightly duller because of the daylight. He turned back to the shocked girl. "What about it?"

"I don't believe it." Keira mumbled, astonished, staring out at Sauske as if he were a ghost.

"What?"

"I know, Keira!" Sakura replied, her left hand reaching up to the handle on her sheath, tapping her fingers on it nervously. "It's incredible."

"What!" Kite shouted, angry now. "What is it!"

The two girls snapped back to reality for a moment, Sakura turning to face him. "Look at his aura!"

"I did! It's no different from the last time!"

Sakura's eyes widened, then she shook her head. "You haven't seen it enough times. That's why you don't get it." She turned back to Sauske, her voice turning a bit wistful. "But, this is the first time I've seen his aura this small."

"Small?"

Keira nodded, but didn't look over at him. "And look at his pose. The same calm, collected Sauske-kun. His face looks strained, his hands are clenched tight, but there's no screams and shouts, and his stance is clean and standard. He's controlling himself."

Sakura continued immediately after her, almost cutting off the ninja. "No outbursts, no swears, no deep roars of hatred. His first attack was swift and direct instead of large and heavy. He's doing something we have all hoped for. He's holding back the full use of his aura."

"What does that mean?" Kite asked, looking back to the fight. None of them could see it, but Chii was also very interested in the fight right now.

Sakura responded first. "It means he's found a way to control himself."

"Is that good? I mean, how bad would losing control be?"

Both girl's snapped back out of their wistful states again.

* * *

"Sauske!" Sakura screamed as loud ass she could, grasping her brother's arms as best she could, despite the searing pain on the inside of her right elbow. "Sauske! Stop! Don't do it!" she wailed into the back of his head, her brother struggling underneath as they stood together. 

Keira dashed in, ducking under the boys arms, between him and the sword, wrapping her arms around his torso. "Sauske!" she screamed as well, pulling herself right up to him. "Sauske, please don't do this!" Her face was moist with tears.

Sauske stopped struggling for a moment, the little boy encased in between the two girls, before the rage began to fall away and the horror swelled in to replace it. His eyes widened, his face paled, and the sword began to slip in his fingers.

"Don't do it." Sakura whispered, her voice losing volume but gaining even more fear. "Don't do it!"

The sword was released. The steel katana, a single red stain along the edge, made a loud CLANG! as it hit the ground. And then, the boy became limp as he realized what he was about to do.

* * *

Sakura muttered, "It can be very bad." 

Keira could only nod.

> > >

"Come on! What are you waiting for!" Kakekomi shouted. The bloodlust in the eyes was still bright, but his face looked both frightened and disbelieving when the eyes were factored out. The boy's fists were so tight the knuckles on his hand were sheet white and it looked like there was a little blood dripping out between his fingers where his nails had dug too far into his skin.

Sauske didn't move. He wasn't sure of himself anymore. He didn't have the strength, did he? At least, not enough to win.

Why was the fear welling up in him now?

"Are you going to come after me? Or should I just beat you up like the other two!" the man shouted.

Sauske snapped. He couldn't do it. He wasn't strong enough. Not enough to win like this.

He had to go further.

"You want me," he began, his face lowering, "TAKE IT!" he screamed, before running forward. The built up fear had vanished in an instant, turning to rage, the boy flooring it as he raced in, his hands right by his face, ready for anything that came at him. Kakekomi balked a bit, seeing the battle aura double in size, at least, in a split second, the boy driving at him with renewed fury. He raised his right foot just slightly off the ground, twisting it a bit to come from a different angle.

Sauske jumped the last step again, flying in low to the ground with his hands ready to strike. Except for one minute change.

His right leg snapped to the ground, stopping his run a bit before, although the speed let him slide in the last half-meter.

Kakekomi swung his leg out in an outside crescent kick, coming up and around to the boy's head, instinctively compensating it for the changes in the boy's speed as they happened.

Sauske slashed out with his left hand, smashing his fist into the approaching kick, knocking it aside. Then, he stepped in again.

The man stared ahead as his leg was tossed away, twisting him a bit and causing him to lose balance. The boy was on him in an instant, moving from block to strike without hesitation. Then, he felt the boy's right hand impact his ribs. Then, once the force was fully imparted, he felt nothing but air.

The strength of the hit was enough to send him flying back ten meters completely airborne, before he felt his heels hit the ground, followed by the rest of his body. He bounced and dinged across the dirt like a tumbleweed caught in a hurricane, puffs of dirt bursting off the ground and floating into the air as he continued his backwards journey. His shoulders, his elbows, his back, his head, his knees, and his chest all took turns smacking the ground, before his hand caught the earth and he pushed off with some degree of control. He flipped himself upright, his feet trying to catch the ground and missing. All he was able to do was stumbled backwards several steps quickly, before falling onto his back and finally sliding to a stop, having traveled almost a third of the field.

> > >

Sakura and Keira both turned their eyes to the ground again. "It's gone." Sakura muttered.

Kite nodded. "Well, for that first minute or two, he had control." He paused. "It's a start."

That seemed to console Keira bit, but neither one looked very cheerful.

> > >

Chii stared out at the field again. Sauske had brought out more aura, and the strength it had given him . . . incredible! With one punch, he sent his opponent over forty meters!

Then, suddenly, Chii forgot all of that. At Sauske's feet was something he didn't see before. A metal dart, implanted in the ground, a line of cord extending off of it. The Amazon looked deeply, and noticed another one, half a meter behind Sauske, and another one, another half meter beyond that. And another. And another. And another, and another, and another, and another, and another!

His eyes continued off behind, but there were no more of those darts. Instead, there was something much more to the point.

Chii went bolting off to it without a word to the others.

> > >

Kakekomi stared up at the sky for a moment. "That **hurt**." he complained angrily to himself, rolling a bit, turning to his side to see the trunk of the tree there. Although, inside, he was smiling a bit. This was a more challenging fight than either of the other two today. He would win in the end, but it wouldn't be an easy win. Which made this complicated. He had his aura, and he could drop his own limitations, but he didn't want to go overboard. He might kill the kid. And if he took this fight out at the way it was going, he wouldn't have the strength to take on anyone else, and probably not even enough to just escape.

"Use it again." a familiar, yet unseen, voice said from above.

He smiled, rolling up into a sitting position, watching the flaming boy starting to walk towards him from across the empty lot. "Oh, you're here."

"I have been for some time."

"Ah. Well, using that again might not be good to do." He glanced at the boy. "Twice in one day wold attract a lot of attention."

"Isn't that what you want?"

"Good point. But then he knows that I have it."

The voice paused."But if you don't use it, Aki will tell them how you defeated her, and they will know anyway. You might as well use it now, and win this battle before you get . . . hurt."

The last word was said with a bit of a chuckle, which the young man joined in himself. It was odd to hold back like this, when they had always worried so much about getting defeated before. Then again, more was at stake then beyond a reputation. "Are you going to back me up?"

"I will not leave here until you do. And I will help you however you need me."

"Just make sure I get out in case I get taken down." he slid his right arm out of his sleeve, Sauske still walking toward him. Once free of his trenchcoat, the arm slid down to the belt along the back of his pants. He grabbed a tag of fabric there, and, standing up, he pulled it hard.

There were several snapping sounds as the strip of cloth came free, before Stampede slid his hand behind the other leg, grabbing another tag, and pulling it away with about fifteen loud snaps. He felt the pressure go limp, and his legs loosened up.

"I don't think you ought to worry about that." the anonymous voice replied.

"Me neither. But just in case." he replied, sliding the strips into a pocket in his jacket, before putting his arm back into the sleeve, feeling the restrictive tug on his shoulder spread out back into his arm. "Because I still can't go all out. I don't want to kill him."

> > >

Sauske continued his determined plod along, watching the man stand and replace his arm in his sleeve. But he ignored that. The man, while only a few years older than him, had done something to drive up Sauske's anger. Sauske was going to crush him.

All of a sudden, the man came sprinting forward. Quite rapidly. In only a moment, he was in the air, feet down towards the boy. Sauske stopped walking, clenching his teeth and raising his arms up

WHAP WHAP! Snapping out his left foot, Kakekomi kicked away the two guard arms, before puling his leg back, twisting in the air like a top. And then, his right foot shot out. WHAM!

"GAAH!" Sauske shouted as he felt the boot impact his forehead. He was blown back by the force, although, since it had come and hit him downward, he hit the ground evenly and slid most of the distance, rolling over a few times. But mostly just slipping over the dead grass.

Landing gingerly on his feet, Kakekomi watched the boy. Almost as if on cue, the boy rose without wincing or blinking, despite the fresh bruise on his head bleeding a bit. "Come on, you pansy!" the man shouted, reminding himself about ruthlessness.

Sauske didn't need to be encouraged twice; the pain and feeling of warm blood, even that tiny little ticklish trickle from the last hit, were unaware factors hidden from him by the inner demon. And so, he attacked. And the red glow grew around him.

The two of them ran together, before the man stopped, letting the boy come in the last few meters. Sauske did, and struck. WHIFF! Sauske's first punch shot through air. His eyes turned to see Kakekomi stepping away, and a little to the side, before turning a little to be directly facing Sauske again. Sauske took two steps and swung out with his left hand. WHIFF!

The man, smiling contemptuously, backed up another step and moved slightly around the boy. Sauske jumped up and kicked. WHIFF! Another miss as well. "Come on! Don't you want to hit me!" he shouted, egging on the boy.

The red flame continued to grow, ever so slightly, as the misses began to mount, and Kakekomi continued sliding away and around the boy.

> > >

"Tenchuu!" Chii said out loud as he dropped down next to his brother, seeing the gashes in his chest. He didn't hesitate, opening his shirt. The bleeding had stopped almost completely, but it would be better for the wounds to be bandaged. Clearing away a few extra chains, darts, and swords on top of him and pulling out a extra package of gauze wrapping from his pocket, Chii sat up his brother's limp body, and began his work.

He was on his fourth round when he noticed the shreds on his arms. Chii was awe struck. Tenchuu was hurt horribly compared to Aki. She had been hit with many powerful blows, but Tenchuu had been cut up. What happened in . . . no, no time to think about that. He continued bandaging up the injuries, trying to work as quickly as . . .

"_A . . . Akiiii?"_ came a soft murmur. Chii looked up to see Tenchuu's eyes cracked open, but he was still limp. He might just be waking up.

"_Tenchuu. It's your brother, Chii."_ he said softly, continuing the basic first aid. He wished he had some water to wash out the wounds, but this was all he could do.

"_Chii . . . is it really you?"_ the older Amazon asked, still dazed, but recovering.

The boy nodded, even if his brother probably wouldn't notice. _"Yes, brother, it is."_

"_Chii, don't fight him. Don't fight . . . the man in the red coat. I . . . I saw what he did to . . . to Aki!"_

Chii stopped immediately, turning up to his brother. _"You saw? How?"_

"_I . . . I was awake when he did it. Just barely. . . . He's too strong . . . Chii, don't fight him."_

"_What did he do?"_

> > >

Sakura was still tapping her sword handle with her fingers to drive away the fear. "What is he doing this for?"

"Could he be trying to tire out Sauske?" Keira offered.

The man, not much older than the three of them, dodged his thirtieth attack from Sauske, sidestepping almost completely out of the way. "But, he's only is making Sauske's aura bigger." Kite noted.

Sakura nodded, before she paused. The look, the way the aura was shaped . . . it didn't make sense. "Something's wrong." The other two turned to her. "Sauske's aura . . . that's too big."

"What do you mean?" Keira replied, staring at her oddly. "It's been much larger before. Like . . . well, that time."

Sakura nodded. "Yeah, but it's too short. The whole thing is wide, but not tall. Something's wrong with the aura."

> > >

CHA CHING-ING-ING! Naruto, huffing and wheezing, as well as muttering about how much he hated long distance running, collapsed against the fence for a moment. His eyes were turned down towards the ground, before slowly, the looked up. And all that exhaustion washed away.

"HOLY MOLY! IS THAT SAUSKE!" He screamed, as he saw the giant swirl of aura in the middle of the field, Sauske and some young guy battling it out in the center of a bright red cloud. Sauske was on the attack, but he wasn't hitting him. At all.

Naruto turned and looked, seeing Kite, Keira, and Sakura staring off at them, and . . . Aki on the ground! He dug his fingers into the fence, before climbing up and jumping over.

WHUMP! He landed easily on the other side, ready to run, when a faint yell was heard. He knew that voice. Not well, but he knew it was Chii.

"Sauske! Get away from him!"

Naruto looked up to see Chii in the distance, sitting next to someone he couldn't identify leaning over. He turned back to see Sauske attacking with even more vigor.

Then, Sakura muttered something loudly. "That's it! The aura's catching on itself and staying . . . oh god no!" She ran forward a few steps, before cupping her hands around her mouth. "Sauske! Get away from him! It's a trap!"

> > >

Sauske ignored Chii's shout to run, and continued his attack. The man dodged again, circling completely around behind him. Sauske's foot hit the ground, and he turned around and headed back at Kakekomi.

Then came Sakura's shout. "Sauske! Get away from him! It"s a trap!"

And again, Sauske ignored it.

"RAAAGH!" the boy screamed, punching straight forward again.

Stampede smirked, before he attacked again. "Too late!" he screamed.

Next Chapter: The battle is brought to a close, but another mysterious man shocks one of the children far more than anything else has.

* * *

All right! Chapter thirty five is done! Okay, I rushed through editing this one, so it might not be as quality as normal, since I only read through it once. And, it's not one of my favorite chapters either. The fight, and some of the characters, didn't come out the way I wanted them. But, sometimes things can't be perfect, and, since I won't be around for a week, it was now or never. So, I'm putting this up and hoping for the best. If there's a big problem, I'll fix it as soon as I get the chance. So, I hope you enjoyed it. 

By the way . . . This story's broken 100 reviews! HOORAY! Thank you to all you reviewers out there! You're the ones who keep me going, and I hope this story will still live up to everyone's expectations. Or more. More would be nice too.

Anyway, on with the reviews:

Paige C: EEE! I know! That scene with Tenchuu and Aki was fn to write, even if it was angsty and serious. As for calling him Vash . . . Kakekomi ("Stampede") is a much better name. It doesn't sound like something that can be cured with ointment. Well, anyway, I'm glad you liked the chapter.

Sleepingbear: Yes, you were right. Kakekomi is based off Vash the Stampede visually. I'm glad there was plenty of action, as, when it comes down to it, that's the whole point of this story. This chapter's done more of that character development, so I hope that worked well. (As for becoming a writer, it's funny you should say that, since I'm going to major in Creative Writing in college when I start next year.)

nonengle: Well, nothing was resolved before, and nothing is resolved yet. But it will be soon. Sort of. As for your reading of Kakekomi's character, you wouldn't believe how close you are to the truth. It is true; this character was just based visually off Vash. He might, or might not, have personality traits that are similar, but that's unintentional. You, however, are the closest person so far to understanding him, and you don't know how happy that makes me to see someone getting close. Keep digging into the story, and look for the little clues to hint at the truth. They are there; not just for him, but also other characters and their pasts. Please, please keep reading this. I look forward to your, and anyone else's, theories on who this Kakekomi really is and isn't.

Conna McCanna: HOORAY! A new reviewer who likes my story! As for who ends up with who . . . my lips are sealed. You'll just have to wait it out.

Shinjiku: Well, okay, then you'll possibly like this story as log as Sauske and Aki might get together. So, I guess I can't say if you will like this story or not, because I hate giving away the story. Sorry. I will say this, though: there will be some really important relationship building in the segments right after this battle is finished. And kissing. There will be some of that in the next few chapters too. That's all I'm going to say.


	36. Frightful Presence

Dislcaimer: I do not own _Ranma ½_, nor claim to.

Chapter Thirty Six: Frightful Presence:

"Adrenaline keeps me in the game. Adrenaline, you don't even feel the pain. Wilder than your wildest dreams. When you're going to extremes, it takes adrenaline." Gavin Rossdale: _Adrenaline_

The door opened and shut quickly, without a voice or greeting from the hall. So, she called out instead. "Hello?"

There was a pause, before a quiet, cold, "Hello," replied.

Nabiki rose to her feet immediately, walking across the room and around the corner to step into the hallway. "So, you're home."

"Yes." Joseph replied, sliding out of his shoes and walking up into the house. He moved to escape down one of the halls, but his mother stepped in the way. "What?"

"Why did you have to stay at school?"

"Because the teacher told me to."

"Which one?"

He paused, not looking up at her. "Takenaka-sensei."

"Are you going to say why, or do I have to come out and ask directly?"

"He got mad at me when I called Shota a 'rich-bitch' again."

Nabiki choked once. "What?"

"You heard me."

"Joseph, you **know** you aren't allowed to use language like that."

"Oh? I'm not allowed to tell people what they are?"

"That's not what . . ."

"Really? Him flaunting his money everywhere like he rules the world? That sounds like a rich-bitch to me. He's a spoiled brat, and nothing more. If he's going to throw his weight around, I'll call it like I see it. Nobody can act like he's better than anyone else just because he's rich, especially around Amy and Auska."

"That doesn't excuse you from what you did."

"Whatever." he muttered, pushing past her and walking down the hall.

"Joseph. If you want to coal for Christmas, keep this up. If you want to have anything to enjoy during it, I suggest you clean up your act."

He paused, standing in the hall. "What, are you going to return 'Santa's' presents?"

"If I have to, I will."

Joseph didn't move. "Heh, I bet you want to already." he mumbled, too quiet to be heard.

"What?"

"Nothing." He continued walking again.

"Joseph!"

He didn't look back, turning and disappearing around the corner of the house. "I've got work to do."

Nabiki scowled, before sighing and shaking her head.

"Nabiki? Is something wrong?" Akane asked, looking to her sister as she stepped into the doorway between the living room and the hall.

The woman turned back, before shaking her head. "It's . . . it's nothing. Forget about it."

> > >

"RAAAGH!" Sauske screamed, punching straight forward again.

Kakekomi smirked, before he attacked again. "TOO LATE!" he screamed. And, with one deft move, his right arm swung in, uppercutting the boy in the chin.

VWOOOOSH!

**BOOM!**

A column of fiery red air twisted and spun, raging high up into the sky, ripping Sauske from the ground and dragging him up into it. The aura whirled and spun, forming the funnel cloud and battering the child caught in its grip. Sauske cried out in anguish, but nothing could be done.

At the base, Kakekomi stared up, breathing out in relaxation. The winds spun and tugged at his jacket, but he stood firmly in the bottom center, safe from the whirling torrent. His eyes watched the aura surrounding the boy grow for a moment, before shattering and falling away with his outcry. The very thin green tint shrunk and bent as the winds tore at Sauske's body, while the golden sphere of his mind fluctuated in this bombardment.

Kakekomi stood, his arm still in position, helping direct the winds. "Wow, what a light show. Biggest one I've ever seen." His voice grew louder, as if trying to reach the boy tumbling through the sky. "This just shows you how strong your aura is, Sauske!"

The winds began to seep apart, before the whole column began to split, breaking down. Sauske, high into the air, lost the force holding him up. And so, he fell.

Kakekomi lowered his arm. "Well, you probably can't hear me now."

WHAM!

Sauske crashed into the ground, back down, his body rebounding a little, but not much. And he held still, about thirty meters from where he was launched.

Kakekomi glanced over, noting the shrunken gold aura. "Nope, you can't."

> > >

"Sauske-kun!" Keira shouted, before the three of them (Kite, Sakrua, and Keira) raced over to their fallen friend. The ninja was there first, grabbing the boy by the shoulders and sitting him up.

His head rolled a bit, before flopping forward.

"Sauske-kun!" she shouted, grabbing and lifting up his head to a more natural angle. "Sauske-kun! Say something!"

Sakura and Kite came around on the sides, leaving a little room for air.

"Sauske-kun!"

At first, she thought the worse, before noticing faint rising and falling in his chest. She sat silently for a moment, hearing the quiet, rapid breathing. He was alive! Sauske was still alive!

"Sauske-kun!" she cried out again, clasping the boy to herself, a few fearful tears making their way down her face. The boy may be alive, but he was out cold. And it was impossible to believe that the fall hadn't hurt him. "Damn!" she thought to herself. "If I wasn't so weak, I could have helped, . . . or I could at least take out that creep for him! . . . No. That doesn't matter."

Slowly, almost mechanically, she lowered the boy back down onto his spine to the spot where he landed, although gentler than his crash. "What the hell was that!" Naruto shouted as he ran up to the three of them.

Sakura turned to the new kid, a bit shocked at his sudden arrival, before replying. "The Hiryu Shoten Ha."

Kite and Naruto both gasped slightly. Kite turned back to the man, still standing in the center of the field, watching them with a calm grin on his face. "That's the Hiryu Shoten Ha?"

"No way." Naruto said with unusual softness. "What's that again?"

Keira began twisting the wire on her sword behind her.

Kite turned to his brother. "You idiot! That's the technique that uses someone's aura against them like a big storm! Saotome-san knows it!"

"Oh, right!"

Keira slowly stood up. "It doesn't matter." she thought calmly. "I won't let him get away."

SHING!

"K-Keira!" Kite muttered, the blade barely missing him. "Watch it with that!"

The girl ignored him, stepping over her best friend, and beginning to walk towards the man who had done this. "Keira!" Naruto shouted. "What are you doing!"

"The same thing I am." Sakura replied faster than she expected, pulling her own wooden sword out and walking along with the Kuonji. Keira glared at her for a moment. "Hey, he's my brother. Besides, you said you were tired from your fight with Kukri. It's better to fight with someone else." The bright blue field of the Saotome girl's aura began to flesh out, as she raised her free hand, a small ball of Ki already formed inside.

Kite started walking after them. "Me too!"

"No!"

"What? Why?"

The two girls turned to him. "You have clean up." Keira replied. "There are three people lying on the ground, and three boys to carry them to Doctor Tofu's. You better get started."

Kite stood for a minute, but neither Sakura or Keira noticed, marching towards the man again. Keira reached her left hand into the back pouch, pulling out two stars. "Are you ready, Sakura?"

"I was ten seconds ago, and I still am now."

"Good. Then . . ."

"STOP!"

> > >

Chii stood, staring off across the field at Sakura and Keira. "Don't go any further!"

The girls, and Kakekomi, turned to look at the Amazon. His arms hung down at his sides, hands clenched, eyes biting with the same fiery determination apparent in the other fighters. Sakura and Keira did stop, the Ki ball vaporizing into nothingness, and the swords lowered to the point where the tips touched the ground.

The boy advanced on Kakekomi, his eyes still locked on the two Japanese girls. "This fight is mine!" His voice crackled with fury and drive, revealing only a tiny snippet of the raw forces driving the child. His uniform, dirty from the run and the ground and the blood on his brother, moved smoothly with his plodding feet.

Kakekomi, interested, started up a brisk pace for what appeared to be his new opponent. He moved much quicker, since his legs were longer, but the emotional part of battle already was on Chii's side. "Well, another one actually wants to try on his own?" He smiled at his thoughts, the adrenaline still in his veins. "This'll be the last one. Leave with another one crushed, and it'll be a good start to get my name spread. That's going to be what it takes to find him; being the best of the best. Too bad for this kid, though. I'm not restrained anymore, thanks to that last one."

Chii stopped suddenly, ten meters away, before moving his arms and legs into the proper stance. Left leg out straight, balancing on the heel as far in front as it would go, the right one supporting his weight and the knee turned out. His left arm was extended fully as well, hand up and palm out, while his right was bent and set at his ear, palm down. "This is the end."

"Oh?" Kakekomi replied, raising his fisted hands up, bouncing a little on the balls of his feet to stay loose. He felt bad about what he was going to do now; this kid was going to be seriously hurt. He couldn't let the facade fall, though. Not now. "You know the secret to that move, I assume?"

"The Hiryu Shoten Ha is one of the Amazon's most sacred techniques!" Chii shouted, fury continuing to show in his voice. "You will never get away with using that again! And don't think some other trick you have hidden will stop me. I'm quite observant."

"Hm, you're a real Amazon too?" The man replied, before his arms dropped, and he stood still. Suddenly, he clapped his hands together, chuckling. "You're observant? Really? Well, I say you're as blind as a bat if you think that. Just like the other two Amazons were. _You couldn't see the mountains even if they were floating in the sky!_"

Chii snarled, his mind counting off seconds, before realizing he was long past the number he needed. "_We'll see!_"

"_We certainly will._"

Chii began to move forward, his right leg pushing him up tall, before falling forward. His left leg bent, but he didn't push forward. He tilted more, on the verge of falling, ready to collapse on his face. Then he pushed off.

WHOOSH!

The boy shot forward five meters, his legs pumping to keep up with his own body, the dirt moving underneath him faster than his own steps. His left arm bent back to strike. And, just as the man raised his hands back up, Chii was already on top of him.

WHAM!

His left palm snapped forward with the same lighting speed that had propelled him to his opponent, and the sound of it crushing into the mystery fighter's abdomen was audible more than a few meters away. The man coughed, the shock surging through him as fast as the boy had moved. Chii pulled back his hand, readying himself to attack immediately, before a fist impaled itself into his cheek.

Hey, Kakekomi was hit, not paralyzed.

Chii spiraled a bit, stumbling along, before he righted himself.

WHAM! And a heavy boot smashed into his face. "Nice hit!" Kakekomi bellowed, a thin strain in his voice. Chii stumbled away more. WHACK! The man twisted and brought a roundhouse to the boy's side, knocking him away. "Can you do it again!"

"AAAH!" Chii shouted as he crashed down, landing hard on his shoulder. He flopped onto his back, before acting quickly to stand back up on his feet. But not fast enough.

SMACK!

"WAAGH!" Chii shouted again, feeling the boots crush into him, blowing him off his feet and back onto the ground a short distance away.

> > >

"So, he's not taking any chances this time?" he mused in the branches. "That hit must have hurt him more than it seemed. Or, he wants this fight over and done with." There was a pause. "Or both."

> > >

Chii cried out as he was kicked along the dirt, his uniform getting dirtier. He was an idiot. He was never as good a fighter as Aki or Tenchuu in a straight battle. But, when he saw that technique, when he saw this man use the sacred Hiryu Shoten Ha, to use something he wasn't supposed to know . . . . It just made his blood boil to find out this man was using his culture's own attacks to destroy his sister and brother.

The Amazon rose again, standing shakily on his tired legs. His training had already drained his endurance, and those two explosive bits of speed had used most of what was left. There was nothing he could do without breaking the promise.

"RAAGH!" Kakekomi roared, driving his knee into the boy's gut, knocking the Amazon into the air a short distance. Chii choked, falling back to the earth on his stomach, his arms sprawled around.

He wheezed a bit, taking several speedy breaths, his body growing more exhausted. He had been a fool, for everything he had done in his life. So much of this was his fault. But he couldn't stop now.

"You surprised me with that first blow." The man replied, calmly standing over the boy. "But, it looks like that was a one time thing. And, it wasn't enough." Ruthlessness.

CRUNCH! "GAAAH!" Chii shouted, his left hand crushed into the dirt by a boot, and held there.

Chii wouldn't stop for anything now. His mind began to focus.

> > >

Sakura was shocked. That man, he . . . he was so fast! He had doubled in speed, she guessed, over what he had when he first began to fight Sauske. And, looking at the man, he seemed hurt, not tired. Maybe not even working hard. Could this even be possible? Her father might not even be faster than him without an aura!

"Chii!" Sakura shouted, and took off into the battle anyway, her sword raised.

The man turned to look at the girl running after him. She was right behind him, and a thick blue began to grow, but the distance was quite far. He didn't move his feet.

"Sakura!" Chii shouted, his face pulling off the dirt. "Stop!" The girl slowed to a trot, and then stopped completely, as told. "This is my fight! Don't get in the way!"

The girl stood, watching them, before the sword slid and touched the ground.

> > >

Keira had slid her weapons back into their respective pockets already. The momentary pulse of power, right after Sauske had fallen, had fled. She felt her own limits again. That's why Sakura went ahead alone. But what Chii was doing . . . it was ludicrous. He was down for the count, pinned and within easy reach of his opponent. But he wouldn't let Sakura help him?

Why had he even chosen to fight anyway? He was wasn't nearly as strong as Sauske! She had seen that when Chii and Sauske squared off earlier in the week; if Sauske had been healthy at the time, it would have been as quick as his battles with Naruto. He had no aura, no strength, and no more than one or two bursts of speed. And yet he kept his perpetual determination?

Why?

> > >

The man, seeing Sakura stop, turned to the boy pinned under his shoe. "You don't want help?"

"I . . . don't need it." Chii muttered. He was counting seconds again. But the count needed to be much higher. His arms were flopped around. It would take longer for the flow.

"Ah, the immutable confidence of the Amazons."

"You seem to know . . . a whole lot about us."

"I do. For one, I know that I just crushed two of you, and a third boy who has nothing to do with your people. Then, there's the Hiryu Shoten Ha. And, of course, there's you, pinned and stuck under my boot. Oh, and did I mention I crushed you?"

Chii dropped his head back to the ground. "_I haven't lost." _The voice was too soft to be heard.

"You don't have the same confidence anymore. Did the hits I laid on you break you already?"

Chii spoke louder. "_I haven't lost._"

"Another mantra bearer, huh? Well, if you don't want to admit defeat, I guess I better give you an incentive."

Chii said nothing, simply waiting.

"If you give up right now, I'll walk away. No more hits, no more pain, no more troubles. You can go home without another bruise."

"Why?"

"Ah, it's getting boring beating on you people. I want to take a break. It seemed like you would have a chance, and then you went and blew it."

"And if I don't want to?"

Kakekomi paused, smirking down at the back of the boy's head. "Let's just say that there are still plenty of places I can make hurt."

Chii waited. He was almost there. Just a few more seconds. "What do you want?"

"Want? Nothing, really. I'm done here . . . but, I never leave my work unfinished, either."

"How is it unfinished?"

"Technically, I haven't won. Everyone knows I have, but I prefer to keep things official." The man leaned down, letting his red coat trail around, obscuring them from the rest of the group, still quite far off, and not approaching.

Chii curled in his pinky on his right hand, extending his thumb out as far as he could. "Should I just guess, or are you going to give me choices?"

The man nudged his sunglasses further up his face, shaking his head. "You want options? Fine." He rolled his right foot over Chii's left hand, drawing a groan from the boy. "I can wail on you some more." He rolled his foot over the hand again, pressing down with extra force. "Or you can give up now, and save us both the wasted pain."

Chii rolled in his middle and ring finger, his face still in the dirt. He waited a moment, before lifting his head off the ground. His voice was defeated and sorrowful. "Well, I guess the only good choice you gave me . . . is to give up."

Kakekomi nodded. "Good plan." Chii looked up, however, and that made him balk. He saw his eyes. They were burning with hatred; he wasn't broken like his voice suggested. Then, the Amazon spoke again, and the voice was quiet the opposite of before.

Chii extended his index finger as far as it could go.

"Or, I could just shoot you."

He raised his right hand up and pointed at Kakekomi's chest in an instant.

> > >

BOOM!

"What the . . !" Sakura shouted, staring at the two fighters when the small explosion rang out. Kakekomi crumpled forward as he flew backwards as if he had been hit by a tremendous force concentrated in a single spot. She thought she saw a bright light for a moment between them, but she wasn't certain. It couldn't be a technique, could it? It must have been something else . . . although, Chii had his right arm strangely raised . . .

Kite, standing next to his brother a ways away, neither having left when Sakura told them to, shouted out for all to hear. "What the hell just happened!"

> > >

Chii dropped his arm to the ground, placing both his palms onto the dirt and pushing his torso off of the earth. Painfully, he raised himself into a crouch, before pushing through it to bring himself to his feet. His legs buckled a bit under the weight of his own body, and he could feel sweat dripping down his face and chest, yet he stood firm.

He reached into his left pants' pocket, grasping several small metal objects there which he had always carried with him. A tiny clink could have been barely heard only if the listener was in the exact spot Chii was in, but the boy sensed it perfectly, grabbing an unknown number of the things. There was no time to waste, and no time to start doubting anything.

> > >

Kakekomi grunted several minor curse words as he rolled backwards along the ground, both from the pain of his fall and the pain in his chest. His shoulder and arms tried to adjust his falling path along the dirt, but it was impossible through the burning pain in his body. The blast had been incredible; he didn't doubt that it could have easily broken something. He wasn't sure what, but something might have. Or, if he hadn't, he probably would before he stopped.

He slammed hard on his cheek and ended up sprawled along the ground, flat on his front. His clothes settled on the grass, but the man did not. He groaned, grumbled, before moving his arms under his shoulders, groggily pushing his face up off the ground.

> > >

Chii glanced at his left hand, counting the rings. Seven. Far too many. He pushed four of them out of his palm and onto the ground. He wouldn't need them in this fight, so he could afford to be a bit messier than normal. Besides, the man was already sitting up, and he wouldn't get another chance like the one in front of him. Once only three remained, he clamped his hand around them, before rotating them into a clean line with well-trained fingers.

> > >

Kakekomi coughed once, before looking up. "All right, one lucky . . . what the?" he muttered, seeing Chii lean back, before striking out with his left hand.

For a moment, he couldn't tell what he was doing. They weren't exactly close together, so what could he be doing? Then, three little gold rings, big enough to go around a finger but thinner than a leaf, began flying towards him. They were lined up in a row, and all the openings were set on him.

Chii pulled his arm back a little, bending it only at the elbow, but keeping his hand, with all his fingers bent in a claw strike, facing the rings. A clear pull appeared on the rings as they slowed in their throw.

Then, the feeling began.

Kakekomi would best describe it as a grappling hook inside his chest trying to pull his skeleton out. His back arched, his face turning up to the sky. Every fiber felt tugged towards the rings, but he did not move towards them. The man desperately wanted to cry out, but his voice was caught inside himself, and so he only gurgled and gaped.

The first ring in the line, closest to Kakekomi, instantly had its center filled with a loose, flowing field of white energy. It danced and arced in its own little world, remaining contained within the center of the ring.

Chii pulled his arm back a little more, jerking it quickly and stopping it only a centimeter behind where it had been.

The man arched more, his back bent to a point of pain. The pressure itself was painless, but he could almost feel his own soul being sucked away, which was far less comforting than simple pain.

The color in the first ring jumped, moving from the first to the second, although a bit brighter. The first ring spun and fell to the ground, no longer needed, but undamaged as well.

Chii jerked his arm again; the energy jumped in tune with it, the second ring crashed to the ground, and the man's gurgling grew more audible.

With a snap, the boy ripped his arm back. The third ring fell to join the others, while Chii curled in to protect his left arm. Kakekomi dropped forward onto his hands and knees, sweat growing on his face. He coughed several times, his mouth messed by the taste of bile. That odd feeling washed away immediately, but was replaced by exhaustion. It seemed like he would collapse and doze off immediately, his arms dropping to the ground like lead weights, but the draining made his injuries, especially Sauske's punch and Chii's blast to his chest, grow sharper as well, and kept him awake.

The man was able to raise a single mutter out over the shouts of Sakura, Keira, Kite, and Naruto, all of which were blocked out by the two fighters. "What . . . what did you do to me?"

Chii, while unable to hear him from the distance they were at, almost ten meters again, simply raised his left hand and slid his feet into a wider stance to keep his balance. If he wasn't so determined to win the fight, the Amazon would probably have laughed at the shocked expression he was given.

Kakekomi paled at the glow in the boy's hand. "It can't be." he whispered to himself.

In the center of Chii's palm sat a large sphere, almost ten centimeters wide, of pure, snow-white energy. It rested in his hand, ripping and brightening the boy's stained clothes. The winds could be seen flowing to and away from it, as if this small sphere was the source of them all. Kakekomi never thought he would see it like this. There were rumors of techniques which could drain it from another person, but he had just been on the receiving end of it. That's what the feeling was. That was his own power, drained right from his body. The most potent of all human energy.

Chakra.

Chii held the sphere like it was normal to be carrying the deadly mixture of mind, body, and spirit from another person. Normally, he wouldn't be using it as a weapon. He would take it inside himself. But redrawing that energy would waste some of it, and the shock value of being hit with the same energy ripped from their body was too much to let go right now.

"I see you understand." Chii murmured, smirking evilly, even though his body was starting to buckle too. Sweat was continuing to roll down his face, drip by drip by drip.

Kakekomi coughed loudly, ending it finally with several long wheezes. "Who . . . are you?"

"My name is Chii." The man's face shot up, staring at the boy. "And I'm an Amazon, just like my brother and sister. And this," the boy hefted the ball of light a bit, "is the end of the fight."

"Chii . . ." the man replied wistfully, as if remembering an old time past. "It is you . . . isn't it?"

The boy blinked.

Looking the Amazon up and down from the distance away, he noticed his dirty clothes, his tired body, his crushed green aura, and those same cloth wrappings over his arms. "I didn't believe it when . . . when they told me . . . about them."

Chii balked a bit. "About what? Who!"

"Those wrappings . . ." he mumbled.

The Amazon's eyes widened in shock. Kakekomi knew! Impossible!

"You're a natural one, they said . . ." he coughed, dropping forward a bit, still on his hands and knees on the earth.

"_Shut up." _Chii murmured, his head lowering. _"Don't say it."_

"They said you could become one . . ."

"_They can't know."_

The man seemed to honor the request, in a way. _"You did it, Chii, didn't you? That's your true power. And you didn't use it?"_

"_Don't say it!"_

Kakekomi, no longer with any real threatening air about him, simply staring in awe at the boy, didn't stop talking. _"You did. You've taken that power upon yourself. You've become a . . ."_

"_SHUT UP!" _Chii suddenly screamed, his face pale as he stepped forward, swinging his hand back. His fingers widened more, and four streams of color flowed into the sphere: red, blue, green, and yellow. The ball grew, increasing another half over in size, before the streaks began to swirl around. _"SHUT UP_ _YOU DUMB F---!"_

Chii drove forward, flinging the ball forward like a baseball. _"RRAAAAAHHH!" _The orb shot out straight for the man, unable to move on the ground.

> > >

Keira eeked back at the screams from Chii, before the ball of energy was hurled forward. "Tehre it goes!" Kite shouted from behind them.

"Get down!" Sakura shouted, running back from where she was before, too close to the man for comfort. Keira was standing in front of her, so she grabbed the girl and dragged her to the ground with her, covering her head with her arms.

> > >

Kakekomi watched the sphere come. Pure chakra. Chii pumped in his own just before the end, and there was nothing he could do about it. He could call for him to come to his aid immediately, but that would be a waste. There was no need to reveal his strengths yet. Besides, this wouldn't **kill **him.

ZHOOOM! The sphere continued to fly at him, rippling through the winds and starting torrents and eddies of its own.

He hoped he would be awake in time to see Christmas morning, though. His mother loved that day.

> > >

The man sighed. "Kakekomi" would be out for a while after this hit. Well, at least there wouldn't be anything after this to deal with.

He leaned forward from the trunk of the tree, watching the final act come to an end.

> > >

ZHOOOOOOMM!

**BOOOOOOM!**

A ear-shattering explosion filed the area, heavy wind whipping at their backs. Keira clutched onto Sakura for safety, who was covering part of Keira with her own body.

Behind them, where the man had been, the sphere burst, expanding to almost twenty times its original size. The dirt and stones around were flung away like bullets, ripping through the air as the energy bored into the ground. Waves and flashed of that same snow-white energy raced along the earth, leaving deep grooves in the grass. And just when the whole thing seemed ready to explode again . . . it did.

BOOOM!

Although not as great, the noise and size were still far beyond the norm. The bright white flash, however, blocked out what was occurring. When the light faded, when the sound settled, when the air lost its heated torrent, silence took over.

whump!

Sakura cautiously lifted up her head, listening for more, and when there was none, she turned and looked over her shoulder. "Is it over?" she murmured, sliding over to allow Keira to sit up.

There was the man, lying flat on his back, crushed into the center of a dark brown crater, his jacket shredded and his clothes underneath torn as well. He wasn't moving as far as she could tell, but something inside told her that he wasn't dead, either. Turning to Chii . . .

"Chii!" She shouted, standing up and running off towards the boy. The remaining fighters who hadn't fought, Kite, Naruto, and Keira, were quickly on their feet and soon behind her.

The boy was laying face down on the ground. Sakura lifted him up, setting him up on his knees, holding him by the shoulders. Her palms were soaked immediately. Not by her sweat, but his. He was dripping; his shirt was already soaked through, his pants were mostly, and the smell was nauseating, especially for her, but she ignored it. "Chii. Chii! Are you all right?"

The boy moaned, before his eyes opened. His voice was almost too quiet to hear, but it was there. "Sa . . . Sakura? Is . . . it over?"

Sakura turned and glanced over her shoulder. The man was still there, although now obscured by Kite, Naruto, and Keira all standing behind them. She turned back, smiling a bit. "Yeah, he's . . ." She was cut off.

"It . . . over." A labored voice interjected. The four of them looked up in shock, ready to attack, before relaxing.

Chii didn't look. He knew who it was, and it made his shoulder slump. _"Brother. I'm sorry." _the boy squeaked, and then was silent.

Tenchuu, balancing on uncertain legs, barely able to stay conscious with his younger brother, who sat on the verge as well, simply shook his head slowly, before sitting down quite unceremoniously. _"I am not upset. You did what you needed to. But, it would be best if you told her that too."_

Chii simply nodded.

> > >

Keira stood at the back of the group, all her kunai in her bracer and her sword sheathed, but not wired shut, and she sighed loudly. It was over.

It was all finally over.

Her ears pricked up, and her head froze. "What was that!" she thought. " . . . no, it must have been my imagination. Right?" Something moved behind them. It couldn't be. It couldn't be him! That blast should have finished this! Even Sauske as angry as he was . . . **that **day . . . wouldn't be enough to take a hit like that.

Nobody else seemed to notice it. Kite was pulling Tenchuu back up and Sakura were helping Chii to his feet. Naruto stood, watching them. Maybe she was imagining it. Yeah, that had to be it.

Her ears perked again. It was there, whatever it was. It was there, behind her, a ways off. About the same distance as that crater. She reached over and placed her hand on the front kunai, but did not draw it. Her head slowly turned around, looking behind herself.

At first, she was shocked. He was up! Then, she realized it wasn't the man standing. No, there was someone there standing beside him. She turned around, straining to see him. Her eyes widened immediately.

A black bodysuit, covering him from neck to wrist to toe. Metal, layered plates of armor over his thighs. Moccasin shoes. A belt covered with small bags all around. A smooth metal bracer along his left forearm, nine kunai hanging from it. Crossing along his back, from the right shoulder to the left hip was a long ninja-to. A full length one, another third-meter longer than Keira's. Black gloves covered his hands, and scanning both his left and right biceps, there were no bandannas. Over his hair was a black cloth, tied down to hide it completely, while a red scarf wrapped around his face, leaving only his eyes visible.

A red scarf wrapped around his face.

> > >

"Oh, really?" Nabiki muttered over the phone.

The voice on the other side grunted in agreement. "I heard him say it, but I just made him stand in the hall. I guess I was getting used to it." Takenaka-sensei sighed. "Is that all you wanted to know?"

"Yes." Nabiki replied. "Thank you very much, sensei. I'm sorry for bothering you like this."

"It's all right. Goodbye."

"Goodbye." Nabiki responded, before hearing the click of the receiver on the other end. Slowly, she reached up and placed the phone on her end down. Joseph had lied.

He hadn't stayed at the school today when classes ended.

> > >

"All right, Chii, let's get you to the Doc's." Kite said, having taken over holding him up for Sakura when Tenchuu was back on his feet. The boy nodded, but Kite looked to his brother. "Get over here, squirt, and help him. You're short enough."

"Don't call me that!" Naruto shouted but walked over anyway.

Sakura lifted the Amazon's arm up and helped Naruto grab hold of him. "All right, let's go grab . . . Keira?" Everyone turned to her. Keira didn't move or respond. "Keira, what's wrong!"

The ninja stood, her mouth hanging open, eyes staring off, hand still gripping the first kunai. The color had drained from her face, and slowly, her head shook. Her mouth moved without sound, but the expression on her face that matched it seemed to suggest that she was almost screaming without words from her view.

"Keira!" Sakura shouted, trying to snap her out of it. She did, in a way.

"Dammit, no!" the girl screamed, grabbing the ring at the front of the bracer, and yanking it. All seven kunai were released, falling towards the ground. Swooping her hand across the grab them all together in her hand, she stepped forward and flung them all out at once.

> > >

The ninja stood looking over the fallen man. His hand snaked up his chest, before coming to rest on his right shoulder. One of those teens was watching him. They weren't much younger than him, so he wasn't about to doubt their abilities. That would be folly, something he could not allow. Too much was at stake for him to ever let his strength lax. And he had to be sure none would come after "Kakekomi".

"Dammit, no!"

His hand snapped up grabbing the handle of his blade. His eyes narrowed, knees bent to arm, and every muscle in his body tensed reflexively. His ears twitched, tracing the direction of the voice, listening for an anomaly. A thin, solid, and deflected metal snap. It didn't take him an instant to figure out the cause; it was something he knew all too well. A kunai bracer had just been released.

Pulling the sword from the sheath without a sound, he turned around in a crouch, his eyes locked on something he couldn't see yet. A girl threw a handful of knives. At first, he was sure they were a filled pentagon form, but they split and spread quite quickly, with only about four coming at him properly. His mind lost a little of the tenseness and the ninja-to in his hand snapped out to his side. At least she wasn't a Tekkō. It wasn't **her**, then.

SHING!

> > >

Keira drew her sword as the man drew his, running after her knives. She wouldn't let him hurt her friends!

SHING!

The girl gasped as the only kunai heading in the right direction were knocked away by a single sword swing, the rest flying by unhindered as they missed completely. That swing, though, was impossible. They were all over he place, one high, one low and to the side, on centered on the other side, and one dead in the middle and a little behind the others. It had come up that way from the throw, so how could his blurry swing possibly do that? And then the answer hit her. It wasn't one sword swing.

It was four.

"Dammitall!" She screamed, clutching her sword tighter as she ran on anyway. She ignored Naruto shouting to her as bolted, pushing herself faster than just a moment before. She was the only one who could stop him. The others didn't stand a chance. Well . . . if Chii could do that crazy thing he did again, maybe he might stand a chance. But she didn't think he could do that again right now, and it wouldn't have been a good chance anyway. Not that hers was much better.

She couldn't run away, though!

A blue aura trailed out of her, pushing her faster and stronger, despite the exhaustion in her body. Adrenaline flowed through her veins, blocking out the feeling of drained, burning muscles and not enough air.

CHANG!

The world was still for a moment, the sound of metal on metal the only thing that could be heard, and even that slowly faded away into silence.

Keira grunted a bit, pressing down with her sword. Sweat dripped from her face, flowing over her eyes and falling between her arms from her nose. Her brown eyes were flares, staring with true intensity, and the blue figure of herself hadn't faded. With a soft moan, she began pressing further down on the sword.

"An aura." The ninja replied, crouched beneath her. He appeared to be a little shorter than Sakura, but his weight was perfectly balanced along his widely spread legs, and a single arm held his sword up. Even as she pressed him more, he was as still as a stone, as if there was only a gnat on the weapon which opposed him. "Unusual for a ninja to have one." His voice was cold, serious, and empty.

"Shut up!" Keira shouted, her body starting to shake as she continued to press down.

"I am afraid this is the end of our meeting."

Keira gasped, worrying about what he meant before she stumbled back. No, was shoved back, her arms swinging up as her sword was pushed up and away. Her face dropped down to see him, though, and she wasted no time attacking. The man rose to his feet, and as soon as she was on her feet firmly again, her sword dropped to her right side and she stepped forward, slashing across.

CHING!

He parried her slash easily, his feet still on the earth. Keira slid her foot around and in, before slashing back the opposite way. CHING! Another parry. She cursed under her breath, before turning the point directly towards the ninja and ramming it in. CHINK! He dropped and raised his sword, knocking hers over his head without any real effort.

WHAM!

He then punched her in the stomach. She gasped for air, stumbling back several long steps, her eyes widened and aura fading to nothing. The adrenaline high wore off, only stable that short few seconds, and what seemed to be the remaining of her strength began to fade.

KSSCH! Her right foot dug into the dirt, before she gripped tighter than ever, even as sweat rolled down her cheeks like rain. "NO!" She cried out in anger, slashing down and to the left. The ninja did not let this one get parried so simply. He struck back at the sword.

CHANK! "EEEEYAH!" Keira screeched as the sword in her hands snapped. The blade broke back, flashing past her face and cutting through her cheek. It wasn't deep, but the pain was enough to cause her to reflex back, grasping the injury with her left hand, the red liquid slipping between her fingers. She reeled away, before her mind regained control, and she returned to face her opponent, the top half of her sword laying in the grass behind her, red with blood.

But he was backed up, his sword sheathed, carrying the man who seemed far too large for him over his shoulders. The weight was obviously a lot, as the ninja was crouched under it a little, but he seemed unperturbed by it. Well, his eyes at least, since his face was covered by that red scarf.

His right hand, still free, sipped into the pouch on his belt, grasping something, before pulling it and hurling the object into the ground. WHOOSH! "EEE!" Keira squeaked as smoke burst out, filling the area, but her eyes caught that man's face, the shadowed eyes, the black hair-cover, the red scarf, before they were swallowed by the white mist. "NO!" She shouted again, before hurling the sword into the emptiness. There was a dull thunk as it hit dirt, but the girl didn't notice that either as she bolted into the cloud, trying to find a way to follow her enemy.

At first, it was simply a perfect cloud, when a pocket of air appeared, extending up and away. She smirked, jumping up through it.

> > >

The ninja landed silently on the branch, still holding "Kakekomi" over his shoulder. If only he wasn't so big, this wouldn't be as difficult. But that girl had some skill. A ninja with an aura . . . he shook his head. She probably knew some technique he didn't too, to make up for that blessed curse. Most family ninjas had some special technique.

CHUNK CHUNK! The ninja had already jumped back and up to another branch when the stars imbedded themselves into the tree branch he had been on. A moment later, a ragged, sweaty Keira jumped up. Her brown hair had gone frizzy, the ends sticking to her face, soaked, while her clothes were water stained everywhere. And her face was still dripping. "Don't . . . try a trick like that . . . on **me**!" the girl wheezed.

"All she has left is her will to fight. And yet, she continues. She is much more skilled than I thought. And much more of a ninja than most." he thought, his eyes expressionless, yet transfixed on Keira. He said nothing.

"This is the end." Keira muttered, raising her shaky arms, and pulling her hands together forcefully into a sign.

POOF! POOF!

Two plumes of smoke appeared on either side of her, and blew away, revealing nothing there.

The girl's eyes were glazing over, and she began to sway on the branch. She seemed to keep herself from falling, but nothing more.

"Dopplegangers? She can create dopplegangers?" the ninja thought to himself. It was obvious to him what she was trying to do, and the fact that she was starting to fall proved it. The creation of one, let alone two, draws tremendous energy, and the girl had clearly been running on empty for the entire fight. "It would be best to not stay any longer."

Keira watching the ninja, still swaying. The man stood still as her vision began to blur a bit. She shook her head, drawing it back to clarity. Then, something else began to blur. At first, she thought it was her eyes, but then the man, and Kakekomi hanging over his shoulder, both blurred and winked out as if they were never there.

"After image." Those were the last two words she thought before falling. She didn't lose consciousness, but the fear that idea brought up let her ignore the fact that she dropped through one branch and crashed onto the compact soil below. "He's . . . he's fast enough to use an after image."

She was scared now.

A unknown ninja was in town, one with obviously denotative equipment, even if it was both contradictory and unproven by his lack of armbands. And who knew what his connection with that mystery fighter was. Why were they here?

It had taken four of them to defeat Kakekomi. She didn't even seem to bother that ninja, and even if she had all her chakra, she doubted if she would have done any better. Lasted longer, maybe, but not done any more damage to him. He didn't even seem to try with her, as if even toying with the girl would have been too simple. Could they ever stand a chance against someone like this?

He had broken her sword as well, and the warm trickle continued down her cheek, staining the green grass. The red and green blades, painted for the holidays, swayed in the gentle wind. Times were changing. They had mistakenly believed that the last week had been important. Ha. It was nothing compared to now.

She thought she could hear someone coming towards her, but her ears were dulling as her eyes began to slide shut. Part of her wondered if they would open again. They probably would, but after all the energy she forced herself to use beyond her limit, . . . well, there was always that chance.

She hoped they opened again. There was too much to come. Something big was happening in Nerima. Despite the disgrace handed to her by Kukri, despite Chidori's injuries, despite anything and everything people could name, nothing had been important relative to this. This was their future, their whole reason for existing now. This battle would determine everything. She didn't care about the reasons. She was scared of the outcome more than anything she had been before.

A man . . . a ninja . . . with a red scarf . . . had come to Tokyo.

Next Chapter: Eyes are opened, fears are alleviated, and promises are made for the future as the children rise back to their feet and walk forward once more.

* * *

Well, that's chapter thirty six! Sorry it was late again, but I didn't get any time to write the week before, so I'm still writing without another chapter already written in reserve. I'll probably keep doing this until at least the Christmas episode, since I really am tired of waiting for that to happen, but I hope to catch up before then so I don't have to miss another week. 

And if you didn't notice, this day is the one-year anniversary of _Youth of the Nation_! HOORAY! I hope this chapter was a good one for the one year mark, and was worth the wait (It's the longest chapter to date). Well, here's hoping for a second year with far less missed chapters!

Anyway, on with the reviews:

Shinjiku: Yes, relationships and kissing will be in the Christmas chapter. But I'll never tell who-oo! . . . Until a chapter or two, when we hit that point. Sorry, you're just going to have to wait.

The Liz: Well, I'm glad the story has been good overall for the last couple chapters. As for Sauske's aura, I didn't like the way it went over last chapter either. It had to be done though. And I get what you mean by the _Yu Yu Hakusho _reference. It does sound like he's using it that way, but hopefully it'll come out better done next time.

Paige C: Yep, it is the Dragon's Heaven Blast. It was a lot more obvious thanI thought it would be, but oh well. I'm glad the fight was good, butI hope this one was better, to be honest. And I don't know if it was that evil of a cliffhanger. It was nicer than the time where Keira had a bomb explode in her face.

Conna McCanna: Nope, not a variant, but the real thing. The Hiryu Shoten Ha. I'm glad you like the chapter but there are two things: One, it's Kakekomi (You're not the only one to mispell it, though). And two, what do you mean by Sauske having a weapon against it? His aura just makes it more powerful.

nonengle: Yep, your first impression was right. Good old Amazon techniques. And yes, you were close with your last review. You made a slight misstep this time about Kakekomi, but most of it was pretty close still, and you aremoving towards the truth. As for your Happosai part, I am impressed. Seriously. You really spelled it out with some quality logic, and really examined the characters, if only from what you remembered. I won't say what you have right or wrong about these two things, but you are close in a lot of ways. I am really happy with the work you did, and thankful you are trying to do this. I would be ecstatic if more people tried to logic out the story like you do, as it shows me readers are both paying attention and trying to understand the characters. It also gives me a guide to see if my plot is making sense with all the holes in it, and if things like little tricks I am putting in can confuse some of you.

**Thanks so much for your everyone's reviews over this past year!**


	37. Disjointed and Confused

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ranma 1/2,_ nor claim to.

Chapter Thirty Seven: Disjointed and Confused:

"Too much of the same stories in our lives. I think it's time for change, don't you? Too much of the same stories in our lives. I think it's time for us to walk away from here." Trapt: _Stories_

Her eyes flicked a bit, before a soft breath came out from her lips. Slowly, she opened her eyelids, the bright lights of room blinding her. She ignored that, only blinking a few times, and then started to sit up. She was in a bed, a blanket on top of her, but she was still in her uniform. Her face hurt a bit, not to mention her whole body aching for some reason, so she brought her left hand up to her chin. There was a bandage there.

Her eyes widened immediately. The uppercut! She immediately began scanning around. Where was he? Where was Kakekomi! All she saw was screens and a wall. She must be in the corner of the room. It sort of reminded her of . . . no, correction, it **was **that doctor's clinic.

She sighed deeply, the sudden shock fading away quickly. She had lost. No question about that. She wouldn't have woken up here if she hadn't, especially since she didn't remember being the last one to hit him. Leaning forward and pulling up her knees, she rested her face on the blanket, her knees supporting it. She really did lose. Her hands clenched and her body shuddered for a moment.

THWACK! BA-CHUNK!

She grumbled to herself, feeling the slightest tinges of imitation in her knuckles where she punched one of the supports of the portable screens, knocking one of her walls over.

She **lost**!

"That hurt, Aki? You know that, right?"

The girl looked over, seeing a black-haired boy lifting up the screen, having felt it crash on his head. Fortunately, he was sitting further back, otherwise it would have smashed into the doctor and his patient.

Dr. Tofu's voice could be heard, although she couldn't see him as the screen was lifted back into place. "Aki-san, I'm glad to see your awake, but please don't hurt yourself again."

The girl glared at the spot where the doctors voice came from, but, with the screen lifted into position, the front suddenly shot open with that high grating sound they tended to make. "Sheesh, you bent the thing, too." The boy stepped inside, leaving the screen open, while sitting down on a spindly little stool that seemed to small for him.

"Who cares?" Aki murmured, turning and staring at the wall.

"The doctor, for one." Kite replied, rubbing his skull. "And my head, too."

"Sorry."

"Ah, forget about it. Just don't do it again."

Aki said nothing.

"Something wrong?"

Aki shook her head, but still said nothing, examining the wall. Her eyes rolled, and went lower, turning her head down along with it.

"It's over, you know."

The girl blinked, before turning her head back to him. "What's over?"

"That freaky guy, the one with the trenchcoat. We beat him, Aki. It's over."

Aki stared at him for a moment with those light green slit eyes she had, content to watch the fighter sitting in front of herself for a moment as she thought. Well, actually, tried to avoid thought. She already knew what she was going to say, she just wanted to try and enjoy the fact that they won before she admitted that this wasn't over. It didn't take long for the switch. "Not yet." She turned back to the wall after whispering those near-silent words, resting her cheek on her knee. She wanted him to drop it, and that shape she slunk to was supposed to discourage him from trying.

Kite wasn't going to, though. "What do you mean, 'not yet'? We won, he lost, he's gone! What else could there be?"

Aki turned and glared angrily at him, giving a more direct signal to let the subject go.

And still, Kite did not. "Tell me, Aki. What's left to be done? We won. It's over."

Aki snarled, "No it's not!" before swinging her hand and punching the stone wall to her left with her right hand. There was a loud crack, before she ripped her hand back, the paint cracked, with small flecks stuck to her knuckles. Kite dropped back in his seat, shocked at her scream.

Tears formed in her eyes. "It's not!" WHAM! She slammed her fist into the wall again. _"It's not!" _WHAM! _"It's not!" _WHAM! _"It's not!" _WHAM! _"It's not!" _WHAM! _"It's not!"_

"God damn it!" Kite shouted, grabbing her wrist and yanking it back to the right side. "What the hell is wrong with you!" Aki stared back at him, a few of her tears starting to fall. He glanced at her fist, seeing tiny red dots forming across the skin, as well as seeping through. "Do you want to get beat up more! Huh! What kind of idiot breaks their hand after a fight!"

Normally, she would have shouted something back, or socked this male across the room for shouting at her with so much venom in his tone and calling her an idiot. Instead, she just dropped her head, sighing.

"Now, wait right here! If I head one slight crack while I'm gone, I'll bring a whole bottle of peroxide with me to dump on your hand." Kite then stood up, and walked out of the small space for Aki.

> > >

Sakura, as well as most of the rest of the people in the room, glanced up as Kite walked out into the main area, his face angrier than she would have expected. Dr. Tofu, however, was already standing, mildly annoyed. Which took a lot to do.

"Kite, what happened?" he asked flatly.

The teen just sighed and shook his head. "She was beating her hand against the wall because she lost. Her hand's not broken, but it needs to be bandaged. She split the skin on her knuckles, and it started to bleed. Plus, the wall's cracked a bit. And if she does something stupid like that again, I'm going to pour hydrogen peroxide on her hand to clean the wound." Kite's reporting was as clear and concise as it always was to the doctor.

The doctor sighed, before stepping back and waving him on. "All right, I'll leave it to you. And please don't use the peroxide like that." Kite nodded, walking off to the other side of the room, into the exact opposite corner, where the bandages were kept. Dr. Tofu, sitting back down again, continued working on his patient, Tenchuu, cleaning up the last of his wounds. Nobody else said anything, although Tenchuu's eyes seemed preoccupied with the screen in front of him.

Sakura sighed, waiting for their parents to get here. Keira has already cleaned up, but was still unconscious in the other screened off bed on the opposite side of the room, near Kite. Sauske was bandaged and resting on the bed to her right, while Chii, whom she had just finished with, was on her left. Sauske was doing pretty well right now, but still in a bit of a mental shock. He would respond if you asked a direct question, and he would look at you when you spoke to him, and move and sit and act mostly normal, only very quietly. It was a good sign.

Chii, however, had been a pain. He was badly bruised in his stomach; although, that wasn't the main problem. He took off his shirt, she put on the ointment and bandaged it as she always did when her uncle needed an extra pair of hands in the clinic, and that was that. Chii's hand, though, was where things became strange. She could see the black and blue mark forming along the edges of those cloth wrappings he had over his arms, which went from the center of his hand all the way up to his shoulder blades, so she figured she would just pull them back a little, clean off the dirt, put on the ointment, and then wrap some extra gauze over it.

When she simply touched the wrappings, though, Chii snatched his wrist away with his other hand and slid back across the bed, looking at her as if she was a monster. When she tried again, he shoved her back. So, she gave up. Hey, she helped her uncle when he asked for it, but she wasn't about to force Chii to do something if it was just a bruise. If he was that sensitive about his hand, then he could just take the pain. Even the doctor couldn't get him to let them treat his hand. So they let it go. It wasn't anything serious, anyway.

Aunt Kasumi's voice could be heard as the bell above the door rang. Sakura couldn't make out the words exactly, but she could tell who the other voice was. Kuonji Ukyo. It took a few minutes from the bell ringing for the two to come into the room. Her aunt was wearing a long dress with her nearly-ever present apron draped in front of her, while Kuonji-san was wearing some loose slacks and a light jacket, her battle spatula strapped across her back. Sakura blinked at that; Kuonji-san didn't carry that too often anymore. Then again, since the rumors of Happosai first came up a few weeks ago, she seemed to always have it nearby, even after he was gone.

"She's in here." Kasumi said in her normal tone, leading the woman to the screen on the far side of the room. Ukyo followed without saying a word, although she did glance around the clinic, giving a warm, worried smile to everyone she saw, as well as nodding to Kite as she passed him by, the boy crossing the room again to where he had left Aki.

The curtains were slid open, and the chef entered calmly, saying a quiet, and a bit surprised, "Excuse me," as she stepped inside.

Sakura sighed again. This was not a great way to start off any vacation, but . . . well, at least it was over. She turned to her brother on her right side, trying to get him to talk some more again. "So, are you really all right, Sauske?"

The boy nodded as he sat on the edge of the bed, staring at his feet. "Yeah, I'm fine."

And that was all he said.

> > >

Nabiki took another deep breath. She had been standing here for about fifteen minutes when Akane starting walking off to Ono's clinic. That was ten minutes ago. She rased her hand, holding it in the air.

He lied to her. He said he was at school when he wasn't. This had happened once or twice before, but he stayed after pretty regularly, usually at least once every week. But wether it was for discipline or just a lie, she wasn't sure. She couldn't be sure. This might be an isolated incident, maybe just a one time thing.

That thought fell away like a rock off of a cliff.

She didn't know what was going on. All she had to do was confront him about this. Confront Joseph on what he was doing after school today. She could do it. She had taken on bigger, more intimidating figures than a fourteen year old boy when she was younger than him. Let him scowl all he wanted, she could . . .

That damn scowl!

* * *

"Joseph! Come on! Breakfast is ready!" Nabiki shouted through the apartment. The table was set long ago, with the food already placed about. Amy, barely half the size she would be in eight years, sat at the table, scooping out Cheerio's with the spoon in her hand, milk dribbling off the edges as she brought it carefully to her mouth. 

There were two empty seats today. Brandon was in Houston, Texas, in a four hour layover before catching the flight to Chicago, Illinois, and then New York City, on his way back from his last conference in San Diego, California. His place was set out of habit, and as a reminder of the family. They were always with them, they were always together, no matter how far apart. And even if he wasn't hungry.

Nabiki smiled a bit as she looked at his seat, imagining him sitting there, stuffing his face with those disgusting "everything" bagels he always loved. Then, across from him, was the other empty seat. Joseph's. She sighed, before shouting out again.

"Joseph! Are you out of bed yet!"

"Coming!" he shouted, before the door to his room, the smaller one at the end of the hallway. He came bounding down through the living room of the apartment, jumping into his chair. He turned up to look at her.

"It's about time." Nabiki chided softly, shaking her head, before turning to him. "You better not be trying to get out of school."

Joseph chuckled a bit. "Don't worry, Mommy! School's easy!" He smiled brightly.

Nabiki stared at him for a moment, before any irritation faded, and she returned his smile. He had a nice smile like that; you could see the energy, the bright mind, in those clear eyes of his when he smiled.

"All right, all right." She replied as Amy scooped more cereal into her mouth. "Then eat something already."

* * *

Nabiki clenched her teeth, exhaling a taunt breath, before her arm dropped back down to her side. She shook her head, sending her short brown hair dancing across her eyes. 

Then, she turned and walked away into another part of the house silently.

> > >

Kite stepped back out of the room, the bandages gone from his hand, carrying a few pieces of trash, which he promptly tossed in a basket sitting along the wall. Sakura glanced up at him, but he was already on his way out to the lobby, probably to take a break from all this. She felt like she should get out of this room too. The silence was deafening. Everyone seemed too quiet. She had seen her uncle working nervously during this time too. Nobody was talking. Well, not everyone, but those who tried to talk were quickly silenced by anyone who wasn't; any conversation started with them would die within three words.

Kuonji-san had already left, and Aunt Kasumi was off preparing dinner for herself and Sakura's uncle.

Suddenly, there was a loud sigh. Sakura, hearing this, turned and looked. Chii was already on his feet, and was walking forward. Tenchuu was watching him out of the corner of his eye, turning his head just enough to see him. He wasn't walking with any clean movement, but he wasn't stumbling through the clear path, either.

The girl moved as if to say something, before falling back into her seat, remembering what her uncle had said. They should rest as long as they could, but they were healthy enough to go if they wanted to. So, she let it go. The boy headed for Aki's space, before opening the curtain and stepping inside, closing it behind himself.

There was quiet chatter in Chinese for a moment, which slowly grew louder, up to the point where Sakura was about to stand up again, before dropping down again. Then, the bell rang.

> > >

Aki glanced up as the screen opened, expecting to see either the doctor or Kite entering. She was surprised when it was her brother Chii, but from the looks of him, he had been in the fight too. Kite hadn't gone over what happened after she collapsed, so it was a surprise to see him injured.

"_Aki . . ."_ he began almost silently, his eyes at the floor. That was surprising as well, since her brother was usually upbeat.

"_Chii, what happened to you?" _She asked quickly, filling his pause with something instead of leaving silence.

"_After you fell, . . . I ended up fighting him, . . . and beat him"_

Aki was about to smile a bit, congratulate him even, but something felt wrong. Her brother was strong in his own way, but even if he could escape any technique or trick that Kakekomi used, he wasn't strong enough to fight him in hand to hand combat. Plus, he would have gone through some intense training today, so he would have been worse off. His hair was trimmed too.

Suddenly, she noticed a small lock of hair in his bangs, a bit longer than the others. It was twisted and discolored from something. It hit her immediately. His hair had been burned.

"_Chii, you didn't . . ."_

He nodded. _"I . . . I had to, Aki. I . . ."_

"_You idiot! How many!"_

"_Three."_ He murmured.

"_Three!" _Her eyes were completely focused on the wrappings along his lines. _"Why did . . . THREE!"_

Chii nodded. _"Yes."_

"_How could you possibly need three!"_

Chii's head dropped. She didn't think she would get this upset, but he had promised everyone to never use his techniques until all of them were caught. _"Because, I wasn't strong enough. I needed three techniques."_

Aki was about to scream again, when suddenly she paused, her eyes widened. He didn't mean . . . he really meant the plain . . . for a moment she was confused, before her mind began to right itself. She sighed, calming down. Her voice matched her mood again: quiet, self-disgusted. _"Which ones?"_

Before he could answer, a new woman's voice called out. _"Aki, Chii, where are you?"_

Both of them turned out towards the place where the screen would open, and the girl was quickly on her feet. The screen opened, and a purple-haired face stuck through.

"_Mother!" _Chii gulped and stepped back, his face red from embarrassment. It was bad enough trying to explain this to his sister. He had forgotten about telling his mother what happened.

"_Come now, it's time to go." _The two children were still for a moment, staring at her. She was smiling, though, and that compelled them to follow after her as she backed out her face. _"I have good news."_

_> > >_

Sakura watched as Shampoo walked back into the room, the two children behind her, and Tenchuu at her side. Sauske was watching them too, although Kite was still in the lobby, and Dr. Tofu, who had been in his office, was now in the doorway between the lobby and here.

Shampoo turned to him, bowing deeply, while saying, "Thank you, Doctor," in the best Japanese she could speak.

The doctor bowed as well, smiling at the woman as he replied with, "You're welcome, Shampoo. Think nothing of it," to his former assistant.

Shampoo smiled back, before turning to her children and saying several phrases in Chinese Sakura couldn't exactly understand. She had the basic idea: "Let's go." The children nodded, and followed their mother out of the clinic.

Something was odd, though. Aki seemed to walk . . . sideways, her back to the rest of the room at all times. She wasn't just turning her face away, but her back was always at Sakura and Sauske, as if she didn't even want to see them.

But before fifteen seconds past, they were gone, Dr. Tofu had waved goodbye to them at the doorway before heading back to his office, and Kite had been resettled in his seat as if he was trying to sleep. The outside world was starting to get dark as time passed, but the fading rays of orange sunshine could be seen along the road and the sky.

"I did it again, Sakura." Sauske said quietly, his face turning back to his feet. "I messed up."

Sakura, startled by her brother's sudden words, turned once she landed back in her chair, facing him. Her voice was soothing. "No, you didn't. I saw you, Sauske. You were holding yourself back for a moment."

"I still lost control."

"But you're starting to get some anyway. You'll be able to soon, I know it."

Sauske slowly turned up to look at his sister. His face was pale, and his eyes were uncertain. "But . . . I didn't suddenly use it. I . . . I wanted to. I don't know how to. And . . . and I was so scared. If I lost . . ."

"That's enough, Sauske." Sakura interrupted, smiling the same way Ukyo had. "Forget about that. You did the best you could. Isn't that enough?"

Sauske's head dropped. "No . . . I used it, because I knew I wasn't . . . I know I wouldn't win . . . I was afraid to fight him . . . and I had to use it. If . . . if only I was stronger, then . . ." His voice trailed off.

Sakura shook her head. "Sauske, you don't have to be afraid. Next time he comes around, we'll beat him together."

She was expecting him to nod and turn quiet again, but he didn't. "Sakura . . . I'm going to get stronger." Sauske's voice was strong and firm. "I'm going to get stronger. Strong enough . . . " He paused, his hands clenching, as he thought of how to word it. The bell rang. "Strong enough so that I never need that aura again!"

> > >

The four of them traveled down the sidewalks towards home. Tenchuu was at the front of the group with Shampoo, while Aki and Chii lagged back, the boy behind the girl. _"Chii, I found out something today you will want to hear._"

The boy looked up at her, to see his mother's face looking back at him, a smile on her face. She looked ready to speak, but he would rather go first. The words exploded out of his mouth. _"Mother, I used the techniques today!"_

The woman was a bit surprised at that, blinking at him. _"Which ones?"_

"_The . . . the spirit rocket, the Dragon's Claw, and the Bear's Fist_."

"_But not . . ."_ she motioned at him with her eyes, which was more than enough to explain what she meant. Chii shook his head fiercely. _"Well, then that's all right."_

Chii was stunned, but Aki shouted out first. _"Don't . . . don't tell me we're leaving again!"_

"_Of course not, Aki. I met with the local elder today. She received word from the council yesterday that six more of **them **have been captured."_

Tenchuu's eyes widened, but again it was Aki who was first to speak. _"**Six** of them?"_

Shampoo nodded. Chii stepped forward, swinging his arms. _"But . . . that means there's still one more! If . . . if he found out . . ."_

Shampoo cut him off. _"No, Chii, it is not so bad. They say he group's scout. He only escaped by leaving another of his companions behind. He is far off, still in China, and he is not strong enough to accomplish anything by himself. We are safe here."_

"_For now." _Aki muttered under her breath.

"_Yes, that's true. And we must be careful, as he might get help somehow, but we can stay in Tokyo." _As if lead weights had been sitting on their shoulders for the entire walk, that were now removed, smiles broke out among the Amazons, Chii especially. _"But you must not use the lines."_

Chii nodded, already in agreement with that. _"I will, Mother. I promise!"_ Suddenly, his stomach growled. The boy's eyes widened, before he let his eyes drop.

Shampoo smiled. _"All right, let's go home."_

> > >

The door swung open, and he smiled up at his wife from the counter, only to suddenly frown. "Where's Keira?" He asked, concerned.

"Still sleeping." Ukyo replied gently, pulling her battle spatula from her back and hanging the strap on a hook as she rounded the corner of the counter. "Dr. Tofu said she'll stay there until she wakes up, just in case something happens."

Konatsu nodded, shuffling around some of the cooking okonomiyaki, sighing. "But . . . she's all right?"

"She looks as if she's lost another three kilograms, but yes, she's fine, sugar."

The ninja-chef sighed, shaking his head. "I thought she would be smart enough to skip fights now."

"I heard there was a good reason." Her husband looked over at her. "Thing is, they said there was another ninja there, and Keira attacked him."

"Why?"

"Nobody knows. Nobody could really describe him. The whole fight was only about a minute or two, and then she collapsed." Ukyo disappeared behind a doorway into a small washroom.

Konatsu could hear the sounds of running water being sloshed about, a bar of soap dropped onto the sink, and the squeak of faucets. He stood calmly, contemplating everything, when a customer came up to the counter. She was a woman in her late forties, and she asked for another two okonomiyaki for her table. Konatsu nodded, taking down what she wanted on top, before the woman went back to her seat, across from a man in his late forties as well.

Ukyo returned a moment later, toweling off her hands. "I think you should go check on her in the morning."

Konatsu blinked. "Why?"

"You know this stuff, hon. I help her with boys and girls, you help her with knives and ninjas. That's what you know, and I don't. Can't say I ever will, either." She leveled a falsely angry glare at the man. "You're all too secretive to make much sense."

He chuckled, smiling a bit, before nodding. "All right, I'll stop by in the morning, then. I just hope the doctor has plenty of food for her."

Ukyo began to snicker. "I wouldn't worry about that. Kasumi's probably making him a feast just to have leftovers for her."

> > >

Kite sighed. They had been here for twenty minutes since Akane arrived and Sauske shouted about how he was going to get stronger. He had been sitting in the lobby for too long, and nothing had happened. This was hopeless. It was time to go.

The boy stood up from the lumpy chair, before walking through the doorway into the main room. "Anything yet?"

There was a pause.

"No." a bodyless voice replied.

"Then let's get out of here, squirt. Mom's probably finished dinner, or will have soon, and I'm starving!"

"Don't call me that!" the voice shouted, before calmly replying, "All right."

The screen where Keira was opened, and Naruto walked out, holding her sword in his hands with the greatest of care. He turned to the wall and placed the sword on the floor, leaning it against the brick so that it was nearby, her other weapons on the floor beneath it. The blond boy took one last look at the girl, still sleeping under the blanket pulled up to her shoulders. A moist rag, replaced about eighty times since they had arrived a little over an hour ago, sat gently across her forehead.

Kite sighed as Naruto carefully shut the screens again. He was pathetic. Really, really pathetic. But he didn't say anything to his brother, and simply waited for him to walk over. "Don't worry. Doc said she'd be up by morning or so."

"I know that! I'm just worried about her!" Naruto shouted, his face red.

"Sheesh, don't blow up at me. I don't care what you think about her, as long as I get to go home and have food."

"You're heatless!"

"And you're loud, but I'm not complaining."

"Shut up!"

Kite smiled, before walking towards the door. "All right, then, let's go."

> > >

He glanced at his watch. Eleven fifty-six PM. The night was dark, but the clouds had broken up, and were mostly just streaks of pure blackness over the slightly starry, quarter moon night, augmented by the gentle glow of the streetlamps. The only sound was the insects, buzzing and chirping softly in the cool breeze.

CHINK!

The lighter sounded in the night, seeming far louder than it actually was. He ignored that. Nobody would wake up to a Zippo lighter. He flicked the wheel with his thumb, creating a small, dancing orange flame on the wick, which he held near his face, taking several small breaths. Gray, sinuous lines trailed from his mouth when he did, twisting and twirling along the smooth skin of his face. He knew it was lit by then, so he swung away the lighter, taking a deep breath in.

CHANK! . . . shhhuuuuuuu . . .

He watched the gray cloud flow out from his mouth, float into indescribable shapes, and then dissolve away into nothingness. He pocketed the now-closed lighter, stuffing it into his pants with the rest of the pack.

He scowled. He had only half a pack. Ripped off or in debt, he preferred ripped off. But that didn't really appease him either. He wanted the full money's worth, but he had to settle. If he didn't take the deal they gave him, he'd have nothing. And he was out of cigarettes and needed all the cash he could spare to finish buying gifts for Christmas.

He sighed, leaning back against the roof. Well, none of it mattered. He drew another deep breath from his nightly smoke. At least the holidays were here.

> > >

Dr. Tofu awoke with a start. Something had crashed. He paused, still laying down in bed, but his eyes were open clearly. He wasn't sure what the noise was or why, but he was now aware of everything his ears could detect.

At first there was nothing. Then, there was some quiet curse, and then nothing again. He waited, before the words, "Where is it?" could be heard muttered in the silent house.

The doctor sat up immediately, trying to listen better. He could hear staggering footsteps off in the distance. It was coming from the lower floor, the clinic. Kasumi, lying next to him, was awake as well, her breathing growing louder, but did not sit up, simply staring off at the wall of the room, straining to hear the next sound. Ono grasped the blankets as if to get out of bed and search for the intruder.

Suddenly, there was a loud moan, followed by the voice saying, "Ugh, soo huungry." Dr. Tofu paused, listening. The voice continued. "Where's the refrid- . . . ah!"

Ono sighed, shaking his head, before leaning back down onto his bed. False alarm. He heard the mini-fridge sitting in the clinic, freshly loaded with extras from their meal, open up, as well as Kasumi's tense breathing relax. Keira was awake again. So, they returned to sleep as quiet chomps could be heard in the background.

> > >

Nine AM. Konatsu pushed through the doorway into the clinic. "Hello?" he asked out to the empty waiting room. Almost immediately, Dr. Tofu poked out his head from his office, before smiling.

"Ah, good morning, Konatsu!" The doctor disappeared, before returning into the room, still smiling. "You're here for Keira, correct?"

"Yes, Doctor. How is she?"

"Well, she woke up last night, so you can see her in a minute. Let me just go check on her first." Konatsu nodded, and the doctor walked off into the next room. The man walked over to one of the chairs against the wall, before turning and flopping down into the seat. His mind was working the second the doctor turned away.

So much was going on, so much more than the few tidbits passed on to his wife and then onto himself. His daughter attacked a ninja upon sight. That certainly didn't sound like her. Keira could be aggressive sometimes, but not vicious. So, there must have been a reason. But what would cause her to rush into a fight when she would almost certainly lose.

There wasn't a good description of the other ninja, so he couldn't base his judgements on him. So, maybe because he was assisting that man Kakekomi. And yet, something felt wrong on that. First of all, why was there a ninja assisting someone like him to begin with. And two, why would Keira attack him then anyway? Because he was helping the man? No, that still wasn't enough. He was missing a critical piece, one which he didn't know. It looked like the only way to find out was . . .

Dr. Tofu returned, interrupting his thoughts. "Konatsu, she's awake. She's doing quite well, and if you want to see her, I'm sure she would be glad."

The man looked to the doctor, nodding as he stood up, before letting Ono lead him into the next room. The screens around Keira's bed were drawn away, pressed back against the wall, and so the room was completely open again, the four beds visible, and only one occupied.

Keira was sitting upright in the left bed, her back leaning against the wall, a tray which used to have food on top completely empty. She was still wearing her ninja outfit, the thin dark blue cloth still covering her body, but the belt, armguard, and other weapons were moved from last night to underneath the edge of the bed. She glanced up to see her father enter the room, and then immediately turned away, choosing to instead examine the ruffles in the blanket.

Dr. Tofu stayed at the doorway, letting Konatsu walk up to her on his own. After a moment, as the father sat down next to his daughter, he bowed himself out and returned to his office to give the two of them some privacy.

Konatsu looked her over. She had a bandage covering her face, placed over her right cheek. His wife was right. She had lost weight again suddenly, her body even more gaunt and thin than before, having used up so much energy. He guessed four kilograms, though, not three. It was probably the worst bout she'd ever had. It was not a good sign. "How are you feeling?" Konatsu knew to ask disarming questions first. Keira could already tell she had done something stupid, reckless, and brash in that fight, so he wanted her to relax before they got into that.

Keira didn't turn to see him. "Fine."

"Do you need something to eat?"

"No, Kasumi-san brought me breakfast."

"Do you think you're well enough to go home?"

"Just say it, dad." She exasperated suddenly.

Konatsu sighed.

"Why, Keira?"

"I had to."

"You had to? You've already drained yourself from fighting that gymnast a few days ago, you drained yourself a second time yesterday, your attacks, from what I was told, were rash and uncontrolled, and you're telling me you had to do it?" He shook his head. "I thought you knew better than to do that, Keira."

"I still had to." Keira muttered, clenching her hands.

"Why?"

"His scarf." Her voice wavered as she spoke.

Konatsu, however, didn't notice that, as his mind caught that phrase. A large piece fell into place, and this time, it was in Keira's favor. "What color?"

"Red."

Konatsu nodded solemnly. "What clan was he from?"

"I couldn't tell."

"Think back, Keira."

"I don't know."

"Try! What clan was he from?"

"That's the thing! He . . . I can't tell!" She was shouting into his face, but her eyes did nothing to hide the fear in her voice. "There were no armbands! None showing, none turned, none switched, nothing!"

"What about his equipment? Maybe we can . . ."

"No! It was a mix! He . . . he had a Tekko kunai brace, and armor and an extended sword from the Masamune clan! And that was only a weak showing! He had the after-image technique, father! He was fast enough to use that."

Konatsu sighed, placing his chin in his hand and balancing an elbow on his knee. "And so you attacked because . . . ?"

Keira took a breath to calm herself down, before letting her head fall forward, her braid slipping over her shoulder and falling into her lap. "He was helping that man, father. The one who attacked us. And I thought he might . . . I though he would . . . if he . . ." she cringed, forcing all of those dark thoughts out of her head, before moving on with the next one that came up. "He must be a toubousha."

"Now, there's no reason to think that he's . . ."

"He must be!" Keira shouted. "What else could he be! Families don't give out scarves! He's a toubousha, father. He's a renegade. And he's got that red cloth wrapped all over his face!"

"So you attacked him?"

"I couldn't let him hurt anyone!" She shouted, before she turned quiet suddenly, her voice sad. "I was the only one who could slow him down, at the very least. If he attacked Sauske-kun and the rest . . . nobody would get out."

Konatsu let out a long, heavy breath. This was complicated. There was no proof that he was a renegade, but the idea fit. The question came down to the same one as before, though. Why? Although, this time, it wasn't directed at his daughter.

Finally, the man spoke again, abruptly. "All right." Konatsu reached under the bed, pulling out the knives and the sheathed sword and all the rest of the things Keira had with her, before standing up. Keira grasped his elbow, using it as support as she stood up from the bed. She was a bit shaky when she first got to her feet, but with each step she was a bit stronger, so that by the time they were heading out the door and calling their goodbyes to the doctor, her steps were steady.

A renegade ninja in Tokyo. Konatsu shook his head. This was getting strange. And dangerous. He glanced over at his daughter, though, and smiled. At the very least, there was one thing to be happy about. His family was still safe and healthy.

Next Chapter: An emotional turnaround as a long awaited holiday brings some cheer and delight to the far too many complicated and secretive lives.

* * *

And that's the end of chapter thirty seven! Well, this took far longer than I expected, and I still didn't get enough time to edit it. So, I hope the text isn't too bad. I really don't like this chapter very much, as it not only is exactly it's title sometimes, but a bunch of scenes which I wanted to include to help clear some ideas up were simply too much to put into this chapter. The chapter is just too long to add any more to it. I guess the Christmas episode will just be that much longer. 

Anyway, on with the reviews:

Shinjiku: Yep, just a little more waiting and the (hopefully) romantic Christmas episode will be done. Just remember, though, that there are a lot more characters (and a lot more girls than Aki / boys than Sauske) out there.

Paige C: I've been waiting to have Chii fight since I thought of him, and I'm glad it came out awesome. As for the cliffhangers, . . . well, evil cliffhangers are fun! Also, it ensures the reader will come back.

nonengle: YAY! Another long review! On who Kakekomi is trying to draw out, what you're saying is logical, but you need to think about how Kakekomi is trying to find him. How could attacking random people increase his chance of finding someone, and what does that course of action lead to? His methodology is far more important here than what may be considered normal logic. And don't forget, Kakekomi certainly doesn't seem to be from the area. (BTW: Yes, these characters are original, so finding someone similar in the comics or anime would be coincidence.) As for Chii, it isn't exactly vampirism, or even a leech-like chakra technique that he used. Those imply that he either takes the energy directly into his body, or needs it to survive (think Miss Hinako), but he did not. In fact, he held the energy right in his hand and threw it. Consider it as more of a energy theft. He can absorb it, but he doesn't have to. And as for Keira, much of her reactions, and the aura, and most of the ninja traditions and such are going to be explained over the next few chapters.

Conna McCanna: Ah, right, now I see what you are saying. That is definitely a way to overcome the Hiriyu Shoten Ha, and probably the simplest. It would definitely work. The aura which surrounds them from the spiral would still be there, but if Sauske, or anyone else, could pull their aura completely inside themselves again, it would be as if both fighters were icy cold, and the effect of the Hiriyu Shoten Ha would be nullified. Of course, as you pointed out, the only way he could do this would be controlling his red aura enough to pull it back in, which he can't do, or using an aura he can control, which he doesn't have.


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